The alchemy of loss

By Abigail Carter

Subjects: Aspect psychologique, Mort, Personal narratives, Husbands, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001, Grief, Biographies, Attentats du 11 septembre 2001, États-Unis, Biography, Psychological aspects, Chagrin, Widows, Famille, Terrorism victims' families, Death, Family, Maris, Veuves

Description: From Publishers Weekly Carter's husband, C. Arron Dack, was probably in Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the World Trade Center, when the planes hit on 9/11. Although she hoped he'd miraculously survived, when he didn't turn up the next day, her grieving began. Carter, who now lives in Seattle, Wash., bases her grieving process on a book by Kathleen Brehony called After the Darkest Hour: the first stage, blackening, which in alchemy strips down lead to its original alloys, corresponded to her initial phase of disorienting grief, when she hardly knew how to live day to day, much less how to comfort their two small children, ages two and six. Next, the whitening stage purified the metal; for Carter, some new routines took hold and she started feeling as though she might make it. The final stage, reddening, when the base metal turns to pure gold, corresponded to Carter's own enlightenment. She accepted that she wasn't very good at her former job anymore, and she accepted that she didn't want to live in the house or the town that she'd shared with her husband. Resilient in the end, Carter shares all her doubts and fears along the way, which other grieving widows may appreciate. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library Journal Carter's husband died in the Twin Towers on 9/11; this is the ably told story of her enlightening journey from utter shock and emptiness to inner calm and wholeness. Throughout her grieving, she raised two small children, attended memorial after memorial, endured changing family dynamics, and navigated the complicated maze of 9/11 widow financial documents. A much-needed book for an underserved audience.—Elizabeth Brinkley Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.