The Light of the World: A Memoir
by Elizabeth Alexander
Buy on AmazonA deeply resonant New York Times Bestselling memoir for anyone who has loved and lost, from acclaimed poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander. In THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, Elizabeth Alexander finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband. Channeling her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid price, Alexander tells a love story that is, itself, a story of loss. As she reflects on the beauty of her married life, the trauma resulting from her husband's death, and the solace found in caring for her two teenage sons, Alexander universalizes a very personal quest for meaning and acceptance in the wake of loss.…
Recommended by
"Elizabeth Alexander is probably best-known as the poet who read at Barack Obama’s first inauguration, but she may be remembered for The Light of the World. This slim book chronicles her 15-year marriage to an Eritrean Renaissance man. Together, they created a happy household that was a magnet for friends and family. When he died just before his 50th birthday, Alexander was inconsolable. Her memoir recounts, in luminous language, how she slowly swam through almost paralyzing grief to break through the surface again and find new life for herself and her sons. Even at its saddest, Alexander’s lyricism shines through."
NPR Books We Love — 2015 · apps.npr.org
Publishers Weekly's Best Books — 2015 · publishersweekly.com