schymek 's review for:

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

4.0

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Grief is a cruel kind of education. You learn how ungentle mourning can be, how full of anger. You learn how glib condolences can feel. You learn how much grief is about language, the failure of language and the grasping for language.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novella celebrates her father's life through ruminating over the rupturous grief she has felt after his unexpected passing. I think this is also the first publication I've read so far that addresses the pandemic, since it complicated the process of grieving (Adichie was unable to travel to Nigeria and assist her family hands-on during the funeral proceedings). It's short, and poignant in a similar way to Adichie's other works, and it feels like a deeply personal journal account that helps her process the tragedy. Recommend for people who have lost loved ones, now more so?