The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Photo by Meredith Owen
When I was in New York, I realized I was staying a few blocks away from Didion's apartment, where she wrote this
book. I don't quite know why this small bit of information (her address), which she mentioned in the book,
remained at the forefront of my mind, but it did! So, as any reasonable person would do, I made my merry way over
to the building and stood outside it in 20-degree weather. Just stood there. I looked at the doorman and wondered
if he knew her, and looked at the nearby stores, wondering if that's where she shopped.
All this to say, I
loved this book so much that I was driven to do the actions mentioned above. This book is about grief and healing,
which Didion has had to undergo multiple times. She describes the pain of losing her husband, then her daughter,
within the span of a few months. What stood out to me most about this book was Didion's strength. Most people
would have crumbled under the loss she endured, but she kept moving. I can see myself revisiting this book in the
future when I inevitably lose a loved one.