The Light of the World: A Memoir

"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."