Synopses & Reviews
"The funny thing about rock bottom is there's stuff underneath it. You think, This is it: I'm at the bottom now. It's all uphill from here! Then you discover the escalator goes down one more floor to another level of bargain basement junk."
In an age in which women are expected to be high achievers, thirty-six-year-old Sophie Stanton desperately wants to be a good widow a graceful, composed, Jackie Kennedy kind of widow. Alas, Sophie is more of a Jack Daniels kind. Self-medicating with cartons of ice cream for breakfast, breaking down in the produce section at the supermarket, showing up to work in her bathrobe and bunny slippers soon she's not only lost her husband, but her job, her house, and her waistline.
Desperate to reinvent her life, Sophie moves to Ashland, Oregon. But instead of the way women starting over are depicted in the movies with heroines instantly being swept off their feet by Sam Shepard kinds of guys Sophie finds herself in the middle of Lucy-and-Ethel madcap adventures with a darkly comic edge involving a thirteen-year-old with a fascination with fire and an alarmingly handsome actor who inspires a range of feelings she can't cope with yet.
Filled with laugh-out-loud humor, struggles, triumphs, and plenty of midnight trips to the fridge, Good Grief is a funny, wise, and heartbreakingly poignant novel from one of fiction's freshest and most exciting new voices.
Review
"If all this sounds perfectly familiar, it is, as 'women's fiction' assumes an increasingly hackneyed formula....Effervescent, silly debut: so eager to please that it reads like the speech of the candidate who won't open his mouth before the polls are consulted." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Tackling a difficult subject in a debut novel is a gutsy move, and Winston pulls it off with just the right blend of heartfelt humor and heartwarming humanity." Booklist
Review
"[T]ruly extraordinary....[S]trikingly original and stunningly brave....Winston's story sparkles with wit and sympathy, but her musings on what it means to really live even in the shadow of death are the true reward here." BookPage
Review
"There are thousands of books about looking for love, but not many about living through tragedy. This witty, big-hearted novel about a smart, funny young woman rebuilding her life fills that gap beautifully." Jennifer Weiner, author of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes
Review
"Good Grief is one of the best first novels I have ever read, and anyone who thinks there is nothing new to read about loss, pain, love, humor, and ultimate renewal, should grab this book now. I will remember it for a very long time." Anne Rivers Siddons, author of Low Country and Islands
Review
"Emotionally engaging, full of quirky characters with realistic problems, and capped with a satisfying conclusion, this first novel is a rare treat. Sophie is self-deprecating, smart-alecky, insecure, and so lost in grief and despair that we become instantly involved in her situation." Library Journal
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"A lighthearted and amusing novel about loss, grief, and the therapeutic effects of baking. I love Sophie Stanton, and I want her recipes." Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife
Review
"Lolly Winston had me from page one, really, from the first paragraph. She made me feel the grief that Sophie Stanton suffered. I wanted to put my arms around her, hold her, cry with her, and share a bottle of wine. She's a wonderful character in Good Grief, and now she's my friend." Billie Letts, author of Where the Heart Is
Review
"Despite its occasional problems with tone and sometimes awkward interspersing of humor with more serious content, Good Grief is an auspicious debut." Portland Oregonian
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"Sophie's funny, lopsided view of the world gives emotional depth to the story, and it is what makes Good Grief stand out from other novels that tackle this enormous subject." Washington Post
Review
"With Good Grief, freelance journalist Lolly Winston has accomplished the improbable: She has made reading a humorous novel about a young woman coming to grips with life fun again." Miami Herald
Review
"Newcomer Lolly Winston has a keen eye for funny-sad details in her novel Good Grief.... A satisfying read for those of us who have taken an Oreo or two of our own to bed in our time." Dallas Morning News
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"A novel about a woman coping with grief might seem off-putting, but not in Lolly Winston's hands." Bookreporter.com
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"This spring, the novel that might sate the appetite for human drama is Lolly Winston's Good Grief....This debut novel is way beyond OK. It is outstanding." USA Today
Synopsis
In the tradition of Billie Letts's Where the Heart Is (Warner, 1995) and Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone (Pocket Books, 1992), Good Grief will appeal to anyone who knows what it is to lose a loved one and struggle to move on. Lolly Winston has a beautiful, original voice. In this astonishing debut novel, she takes a sad situation and artfully finds the humor and pathos to make readers smile and break their hearts at the same time.
Synopsis
In this "funny, fresh, and utterly believable" New York Times bestseller, a young woman struggles to build a new life after the death of her husband (Publishers Weekly).
36-year-old Sophie Stanton loses her young husband to cancer. In an age where women are expected to be high-achievers, Sophie desperately wants to be a good widow -- a graceful, composed Jackie Kennedy kind of widow. Alas, Sophie is more of a Jack Daniels kind. Downing cartons of ice cream for breakfast, breaking down in the produce section of supermarkets, showing up to work in her bathrobe and bunny slippers. Soon, she's not only lost her husband, but her job and her waistline as well.
In a desperate attempt to reinvent her life, Sophie moves to Ashland, Oregon. But instead of the way it's depicted in the movies, with a rugged Sam Shepherd kind of guy finding her, Sophie finds herself in the middle of Lucy-and-Ethel madcap adventures with a darkly comic edge. Still, Sophie proves that with enough humor and chutzpah, it is possible to have life after loss.
Synopsis
A brilliantly funny and heartwarming debut about a young woman who stumbles, then fights to build a new life after the death of her husband. The perfect book for anyone who has ever been heartbroken, lost someone they loved, or eaten too many Oreos.
Synopsis
Thirty-six-year-old Sophie Stanton desperately wants to be a good widow-a graceful, composed, Jackie Kennedy kind of widow. Alas, she is more of the Jack Daniels kind. Self-medicating with ice cream for breakfast, breaking down at the supermarket, and showing up to work in her bathrobe and bunny slippers-soon she's not only lost her husband, but her job, house...and waistline. With humor and chutzpah Sophie leaves town, determined to reinvent her life. But starting over has its hurdles; soon she's involved with a thirteen-year-old who has a fascination with fire, and a handsome actor who inspires a range of feelings she can't cope with-yet.
About the Author
Lolly Winston is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Redbook, Family Circle, Working Mother, and many other publications. She lives with her husband in California.