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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In The “W” Word, Jo Horne recounts the final months of her forty-two-year marriage to Larry after doctors tell them his declining health has reached the point where hospice is approaching. Horne begins recording their remaining time together as she tries to comprehend the widowhood waiting ahead. After Larry’s death, she continues the memoir through the first years that follow, documenting the ongoing process of learning how a life once shared can continue after one partner is gone. The account eventually reaches beyond those early years as Horne considers the lessons that stayed with her long after the first anniversaries had passed. A decade on, she returns to those experiences with the perspective of someone who has lived inside the “W” word for years, hoping her own path may offer companionship to readers facing widowhood themselves.
The “W” Word by Jo Horne is an exceptional memoir, written with the kind of honesty that tells the truth plainly while giving everyday moments real significance. Her understanding of how widowhood alters ordinary routines is especially perceptive, which comes through when a restaurant server asks about the check after Larry’s death, turning one small question into recognition of her changed life. The author brings the same sensitivity to companionship when she honors Larry’s request by accepting every invitation during her first month alone. Probably the most touching aspect of this memoir is how easily we get to know the author, partly because she writes in a supremely relatable conversational voice, and also because we can feel both the pain and healing coming through. This is a candid memoir about widowhood and is an excellent choice for readers who want something deeply personal and lovingly written. Very highly recommended.
