The importance of others

Recently longlisted for the Orange Prize is American writer Leah Hager Cohen with her fourth novel The Grief of others.

At first I thought that I might not manage to read this book; the prologue describes the death of a new born baby and the first chapter concludes with a ten year old child "slipping into the water". Having respect for the Orange Prize I persevered. This novel dissects the lives of one family in a year that sees the death of two babies. It explores individual feelings and responses and also familial approaches to difficulties. The narrative begins in the present and looks back one year and then also flips back to eight years ago when things were good. The family members, adults and children, have credible voices and reasonable reactions and are described sympathetically.

This novel shows that although we have the ability, through ignorance, despair or fear, to mess up our lives, we also have the power to restore balance and create a better future.

This is definitely worth reading.