Summary

Lewis is the noted British writer and university professor who, late in life, fell deeply in love with and married a younger American woman. Their romance shattered the walls of his cloistered, intellectual world, and activated emotions he had written about, but never experienced. Following her death from cancer after only a few years together, Lewis confronted a terrible truth: that a heart awakened to a great love is also open to great pain. After her death, he poured out his feelings as random jottings in several notebooks. When the last notebook was filled, the jottings ceased and directly became the book. It is said to be one of the finest personal accounts of one man's dealing with the grieving process.

Quotes

"If, as I can't help suspecting, the dead also feel the pains of separation (and this may be one of their purgatorial sufferings), then for both lovers, and for all pairs of lovers without exception, bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

General Themes

Lewis is trying to fathom the answers to such questions as what is happening to him as a result of this loss, why did the departed spouse need to undergo such suffering, and where is God in all of this, is he the Caring Father or the Eternal Vivisector, the Cosmic Sadist? He struggles valiantly with these momentous issues, trying to find solutions that he can live with.

What the Reviewer Liked

I was particularly struck by Lewis' courage and his formidable intellect in tackling the really thorny emotional and practical issues faced by the surviving spouse. One is given much food for thought about the whole grieving process, aiding others in coming up with solutions for their own personal situations.

Shortcomings or Flaws

None "observed".

Writing Style

Short paragraphs that jump around from one topic to another, yet there is an overall continuity that makes a deep impression. This style results from the author's technique of putting down random jottings about his feelings, the whole nevertheless making for a powerful work.

Author Qualifications

Lewis, a world-renowned writer, did this book in his 62nd year, a year after his wife's death, and only two years before his own.

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Kara is the Gothic root of the word "care."
It means to reach out, to care, to lament, to grieve with.