The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Reading this book has been interesting and heartbreaking experience. A Year of Magical Thinking, a journey through the grieving process. While dealing with the death of her husband, she is confronted with the sickness of her only child. This book touches me, and it makes me think of what would happen if my loved one died. This paper is a reflection of my thoughts and feelings about this woman’s journey that has been explored by book and video. I will also explore the author’s adjustment process, and how she views her changed self.
The title of the book, actually defines how she approached her grieving process. She believed her husband was coming back, and she questioned certain events that could prevent her husband’s death. I actually relate well to this line of thinking. When something bad happens in my life, I usually go for what if I did this differently. Maybe things would have turned out differently. I actually used this line of thought, when a classmate died last year in a car accident. Before he died, my classmates and I stopped for lunch. I thought if we did not have lunch, he would still be here. If we all did not go to the VA Stand-down, he would still be here. I try not to think that way, but it does creep up on me. That is a normal process that individuals go through when dealing with grief. It is nice to see someone put their experience on paper.
In reality, her grieving process was normal and healthy. Telling someone how to grieve is like telling someone how to breathe. Individuals grieve in different ways, and there is nothing wrong with that. During the book, she tried to do things familiar to her and her husband. In an attempt to keep him alive, that is perfectly normal. It felt like she w...

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...till feels like a wife and mother, but the love ones who classified her as such are no longer here. The book’s main purpose is to show her evolving self and how she adjusts to her new life. Her life is different. Than man she was with for over forty years is gone, she has to adjust to be alone. Her life process was fascinating to read. She at first wanted to be alone so her husband would come back, then she did not because all she did was think of him. She saw herself as an independent person before her husband died; now she realized how dependent she really was. She changed to adapt to her situation, to cope.
This book was an interesting read. Normally I do not go for the type of grief that is deposited in the book. I usually like happier books. This book is very detailed about the grief process, and I believe will help people deal with grief and loss.