“This book details not only a 'siege,' as Oates puts it, but also a pilgrimage - one that tracks the author's journey through the complicated stages of her grief. It is an intimate, unflinching portrait of a woman who has remained somewhat of an enigma, though a prolific and respected one. Raymond Smith, Oates' husband of 48 years and the editor of the Ontario Review, died unexpectedly in 2008. In a literary and yet wrenching account, Oates leaves nothing out as readers stumble along with her and discover what it means to be a 'widow.'”
— Jenny Lyons, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT
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