Oh.Em.Gee, Y'all...
this book.
Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. After years of long-distance dating, the pair finally settled together in Los Angeles, and they had it all: a perfect marriage, a gorgeous new home, and a baby girl on the way. Liz's pregnancy was rocky, but they welcomed Madeline, beautiful and healthy, into the world on March 24, 2008.
Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited. Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward-- to make a life for Maddy.
In this memoir, Matt shares bittersweet and often humorous anecdotes of his courtship and marriage to Liz; of relying on his newborn daughter for the support that she unknowingly provided; and of the extraordinary online community of strangers who have become his friends. In honoring Liz's legacy, heartache has become solace.
Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited. Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward-- to make a life for Maddy.
In this memoir, Matt shares bittersweet and often humorous anecdotes of his courtship and marriage to Liz; of relying on his newborn daughter for the support that she unknowingly provided; and of the extraordinary online community of strangers who have become his friends. In honoring Liz's legacy, heartache has become solace.
From Me:
If this book sounds completely sad? It's because it is.
But in one of those amazing reads, even though it makes you completely sob like a crazy person while reading a book, way. It is horrifically sad - sad in a way that makes tears come to my eyes just writing about it.
But an amazing story, written by an even more amazing author and father.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"I tried to remember how beautiful she looked. Holding her hand there on her bed, I kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I knew it wasn't my fault, just like it wasn't anybody else's fault. But I wasn't apologizing for her death. I was apologizing for what could have been, what should have been, and for what she was going to miss as our daughter grew up."
"Though I thought I had no tears left, they once again started to flow as I brought the pillow and the shawl up to my face, taking in her scent. Her perfume was so deeply embedded into both objects, I swore I wouldn't let them go until I'd sniffed every last bit of her from them. It was remarkable how the smell filled me with hope - hope that I'd be able to sleep through the night, hope that there'd be a dream during which Liz was still alive in my mind. I ached for just one moment in which this wasn't my reality."
Right?
Do yourself a favor and read this book, be grateful for your life with your loved ones, and cry an ugly little cry - the tears are worth how incredible the book is.
(One suggestion: don't finish reading this book while you're waiting for your husband to get out of emergency surgery.)
6 comments:
This sounds like a good read for alone reading. I made the mistake of reading a Jodi Piccoult book on an airplane and got into ugly cry sitting next to a stranger, and that crap's not even real. I can't imagine what I would turn into reading this book. Thanks for the review!
i have been a reader of his blog since just after maddy was born but i liked his book too because it wasn't just like his blog.
the love he has for maddy and liz is too sweet and amazing.
happy friday!
I will definitely put it on my list!
I've been reading Matt's blog for years, which basically meant I had to run out and read this book as soon as it came it. And yes, it definitely made me cry, but I still enjoyed the experience of reading it. And I still read his blog all the time.
Oh wow, this book sounds so sad but moving at the same time. I'm going to put it on my to-read list!
I teared up just reading this post! I think I heard this story somewhere and I absolutely don't think that I can read this book. I'd be a mess. PEs scare the heck out of me.
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