Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, takes readers on an emotional journey in her latest memoir, Memorial Days. The book dives into her life after the sudden passing of her husband, Tony Horwitz, also a celebrated writer. It’s a raw and honest look at grief, memory, and the struggle to rebuild when the world feels shattered.

Brooks and Horwitz shared a remarkable life. For over three decades, they traveled the globe as journalists, lived in a charming, quirky home on Martha’s Vineyard, and built a life filled with adventure and love. But in 2019, Horwitz’s unexpected death at 60 left Brooks reeling. In Memorial Days, she recounts the painful aftermath: navigating bureaucracy, losing health insurance, and even imagining the loss of his donated organs.

The memoir alternates between their life in Martha’s Vineyard and Brooks’s retreat to Flinders Island in Australia, her homeland, where she seeks solitude to process her grief. Her writing is both profound and relatable, capturing the complexities of loss while celebrating the love that remains.

Brooks doesn’t shy away from the messy details of grief. She writes about the small, everyday moments that sting the most—like finding a missed voicemail about organ donation—and the strange ways life keeps moving forward.

For fans of Brooks’s work, Memorial Days offers a deeply personal glimpse into the life of a writer who’s usually behind the stories. It’s a testament to love, loss, and the resilience it takes to keep going.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt read that’s both moving and beautifully written, Memorial Days is one to add to your list. It’s a story that stays with you long after the last page.