Waving Goodbye

Life After Loss

Non-Fiction - Memoir
176 Pages
Reviewed on 03/07/2024
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

In life, losses are inevitable. Waving Goodbye: Life After Loss by Warren Kozak is the account of the author's life after he lost his beloved wife, Lisa, to cancer in 2018. Lisa's untimely death after four years of battling the terminal illness leaves Warren numb. He doesn't want Lisa to be alone on her way to the funeral home and follows her there. Lisa's funeral is in Wisconsin on a cold winter day. Nevertheless, many people attend and give some consolation to Lisa's grieving husband and daughter, Claire. The Jewish traditional seven-day period of mourning named Shiva also allows Warren and Claire to feel the support of their family and friends. But then comes a day when Warren stays in his empty house all alone. There is time before the death of a spouse and time after it. Waving Goodbye is about inner pain, sudden solitude, a feeling of helplessness, and how to face them.

In Waving Goodbye: Life After Loss, Warren Kozak tells us what helped him survive the five years without Lisa, explores how grief affects us, and offers advice to those grieving the loss of a spouse. Waving Goodbye is a touching tribute to Lisa. Warren depicts a strong, loving, and beautiful woman who played a huge role in his life and the life of their daughter, Claire. The author writes in a friendly and sometimes humorous manner. Warren inspires us to be more caring concerning other people's grief. He offers valuable practical recommendations regarding the necessary preparations we should make before our death. Warren shares his personal experience and proves that it is not as shocking as it may sound. I appreciate that the author touches on the importance of the rituals during the period of grief, including the religious ones. Warren explains his religious views in simple words and graciously acknowledges our right to disagree. I highly recommend Waving Goodbye to those who have lost a loved one and to readers of memoirs and motivational non-fiction.