Welcome to Litsy!

I tend to shy away from thinking about what life without my mother would be like. I don‘t want to think about this separation because the bond is so strong but it‘s inevitable. I love the idea of writing a book focusing on a mother‘s death and her advice, it‘s light-hearted, at times funny, good illustrations but that‘s the problem, it is too sweet, trying too hard to make you feel better when in reality after this loss nothing will.

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m87NW1LSlQ

Enjoy!

Read this after reading the summary on @Come-read-with-me ‘s post. This short book provides advice to the author after her mother dies. The mother is alive but her advice to her daughter is practical, sensible, tragic, and beautiful. The illustrations are gorgeous and the advice extends from overcoming grief, cooking, choosing a partner, to taking care of the self, buying a cane when old and everything in between. #diary/journal #NFNov

Written as a daily diary, “When I‘m Gone” is a collection of wisdom and insights from a mother to her daughter about what to do after she dies. It starts with how the initial shock will feel and guides the daughter through the days, weeks, months, and years without her mother. Some is the advice is hilarious (Why you should make fajitas after a death) and some painfully sad (how your first holiday will feel.) #TIL Grief is a fluid process 😭

Touching and tender. Honestly, I almost knocked off a star because of the mom's insistence that anyone who doesn't get an epidural during childbirth is an idiot, but the rest of the book is so great, I let it go. Kind of. I might still be a little annoyed by it. Maybe. Perfect for those of us who are either getting to the stage of life where we might lose our parents, or those who are just starting adulthood on their own.

Yes.

Mother Suzy Hopkins writes her daughter a touching day by day guide on how to get through life after she dies. Daughter Hallie Bateman illustrates her mother‘s instructions in this #graphicnovel. With instructions on planning her funeral, marriage, work, recipes for comfort food, and everything in between, we could all use a grief manual like this.
5⭐️
Book 20/90 1/18/19

Love, love, love this. Makes you think about what is important in life and how to take care of YOU. I love this mama‘s advice of self care, finding simple things to be passionate about, and a stiff drink every now and then!

Illustrator Hallie, when coming to the realization that one day Suzy, her Mum would be gone, asks her to write a step-by-step guide on how to get along once she dies. And here it is, accompanied by Hallie‘s drawings. It‘s such a sweet, moving and heart-warming project.
I found this a tough read and had lots of tears. My mum has advanced early-onset Alzheimer‘s so I have already lost my mum in many ways. She‘s still here but I miss her already.💕

"Why go on if we all just die in the end? There's a great reason. If you knew you were going to live forever, imagine how much time you'd waste. Amazing things can happen when there's a deadline looming."

Day 1.....

Make fajitas.

This is a book I wish had been around 16 years ago when I lost my mother. But finding it now is better late than never. With tenderness, illustrations, and a touch of humor, a mother gives her daughter mostly practical advice on what to do in the days following her death. A book for anyone who has lost someone dear to them, who knows the sting of deep grief. This one will lift your mood--or it did mine anyway.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book turns a sad moment into sweet and funny guidance from a mother. What a bittersweet read.

From day one to day 20,000 this book maps out what a mom wants her daughter to do when she's gone. You'll cry, laugh, love and cry some more as you read it. I recommend this to anyone who has lost someone close to them (mother, father, sister ect.) I connected with so many things in here. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the book I wish I had had when my mother died. It's a beautiful meditation on grief, love & perspective, in graphic novel format. It might make a weird/cool Mother's Day present if your mom's still with us. The assignment for Day 1: Make a Fajita. It starts with instructions for slicing a bunch of onions and crying. It ends with "Great job! Now don't you feel better? Of course you don't. Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey."