barbcher 's review for:

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

3.0

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Adiche is always a good read, and her experiences of grief from her dad's passing is certainly a case in point. It's a short anecdotal book on a sudden and unexpected passing of her dad at a distance during the pandemic which makes it all the worse to process. Then, her mother follows suit in rather quick order. There is nothing particularly new here but you feel Adichie's pain and she is good expressing this as she does in all her pieces.
I can name more comprehensive and helpful books on aging, dying and death such as Being Mortal (Gawande), Mortal Lessons (Selzer), When Breath Becomes Air (Kalanithi), or even Tuesdays with Morrie, The Good Death and Heartwood (Becker), which are each a different slant on the topic. This is personal, narrow, and deep, but its uniqueness is that it's Adiche who is such a fine writer, and living so far from family, brings a unique and poignant aspect to this particular book. Besides, it's a very easy read.