"Maybe you read the excerpt in the New Yorker, and you'll understand. In the face of this extraordinary book, it's hard to find the right words. Yes, it's by one of our greatest contemporary poets (who wrote "Praise Song for the Day" for Obama's first inauguration), and so the language is gorgeous. And yes, it's a memoir of losing her husband at a young age, and so it is, in parts, gut-wrenchingly sad. And yes, it is an ode in prose to an extraordinary man, and so we come to feel we know this artist, chef, father, friend, lover. But finally, here's what I want to say: it is as beautiful a love story as I've ever read, and it lifts us up, and gives us hope, and makes us believe."
Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date 2015-04-21
Section New Hardcover - Biography / All Staff Suggestions / Nonfiction Suggestions
Format Hardcover
ISBN 9781455599875
A deeply resonant memoir for anyone who has loved and lost, from acclaimed poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander.
In The Light of the World, Elizabeth Alexander finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband. Reflecting with gratitude on the exquisite beauty of her married life that was, grappling with the resulting void, and finding solace in caring for her two teenage sons, Alexander channels her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid prose that universalizes a very personal quest for meaning and acceptance in the wake of loss.
The Light of the World is both an endlessly compelling memoir and a deeply felt meditation on the blessings of love, family, art, and community. It is also a lyrical celebration of a life well lived and a paean to the priceless gift of human companionship. For those who have loved and lost, or for anyone who cares about what matters most, The Light of the World is required reading.
