On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, an uncompromising young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie O, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless marriage or follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between Claire and Vivien will change the life of one of them in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 02/25/2013
ISBN: 9780393081428
Pages: 304
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.40d
Review Citations: Library Journal Prepub Alert 10/01/2012 pg. 55
Library Journal 10/01/2012 pg. 55
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2013
Booklist 01/01/2013 pg. 51
Library Journal 02/15/2013 pg. 92
BookPage 03/01/2013