"P.S. I Love You" by Cecilia Ahern

The past few days, I've been reading P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern. Yes, it seems like a girly book, but don't let the cover throw you off. It's sweet, sentimental, and sappy but some things that seem horribly cliche at first soon reveal themselves to be true and good advice.

Holly Kennedy's husband, Gerry, passed away in February from a brain tumor. This book tracks her progress as she learns to keep living even after his death. Before his death, she, Gerry, and their friends used to joke about The List, which was a list of commandments that Gerry would write in his will to his wife to make her life easier. After Gerry's death, Holly learns that he sent a package to her parents' house with ten envelopes inside--one for each month from March to December. Holly follows this List religiously as she recovers from Gerry's death and learns to live her life without him.

Admittedly, it deals with a difficult topic, but one that everybody can relate to. On the other hand, the advice it gives--find a good job, rely on your friends, have fun--are certain things that only the upper middle class could manage. What if you didn't have such good friends like Sharon and Denise? What if you couldn't find another job? What if you had to support kids? What if your family wasn't so supportive? What if you didn't have enough money to loll around trying to get over your loved one's death? Above all, what if your loved one didn't leave you instructions like Gerry did? How would you cope with the death on your own, without people to support you and kick-start you into continuing your life, having to be strong for others?

This is a book surrounding a girl with an ideal status--no one else to support, supportive family, trustworthy friends, great job, people who love you... Don't get me wrong; I love this book. It's also a good book to read if you're suffering through loss, because it might just give you the kick you need to get on with your life. However, if you don't have the opportunity and status Holly has, it might be tough to follow in her footsteps.