Category Archives: Reviews

The New Yorker: Briefly Noted

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Jonathan

“The Widower’s Notebook, by Jonathan Santlofer (Penguin). In this memoir, a novelist and artist contends with the sudden death of his wife. Santlofer adds new insights to the familiar genre of the grief memoir by exploring the ways in which men are expected to handle Read more…

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Signature Reads: The Language of Grief

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Jonathan

I measure every Grief I meet With narrow, probing, eyes – I wonder if It weighs like Mine – Or has an Easier size.” Emily Dickinson, #561 The English word “grief” is derived from the Old French verb “grever,” which means “to burden.” Implicit in Read more…

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NYCity Woman – Six Books to Read in August

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Jonathan

  “The Widower’s Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer. How do men grieve? Santlofer, a noted crime writer, teacher and artist, answers with this intimate memoir written after the sudden death of his wife, Joy, after 40 years of marriage. He conjures her through exquisite drawings and Read more…

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The Washington Post – Do men and women experience grief differently?

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Jonathan

“Five years ago, Jonathan Santlofer’s wife, Joy, died unexpectedly following a routine outpatient procedure. In the days and months following her death, Santlofer kept a “widower’s notebook” — a collection of thoughts and drawings he polished and bound into a memoir of the same title. Read more…

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Lit Hub Bookmarks: The Best Reviewed Books of the Week

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Jonathan

“Santlofer’s book is an affecting read and not entirely heavy, despite the subject matter … Santlofer’s book, which shines most brightly when it focuses on his grief for his wife, is not a pedagogical tool and does not advance our understanding of grief in an Read more…

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Entertainment Weekly – July’s Must Reads!

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Jonathan

  Need some new reads to throw into your beach tote? There are plenty of hot new books hitting the shelves this month: Here are the 20 you need to know about…. “In this sensitive memoir, a man wades through grief by remembering his marriage Read more…

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Book Reporter: The Widower’s Notebook

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Jonathan

“THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK is vital reading, a beautiful testament to Joy’s life, and a much-needed window into how one man grapples with the most acute kind of loss. onathan and Joy Santlofer were not a perfect couple by any means. They did their fair share Read more…

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Stacy Alesi’s Book Bitch Reviews

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Jonathan

Jonathan’s voice was immediately recognizable. This isn’t some new-agey, self-help guide but rather a journey through loss and devastation, grief and pain, and ultimately hope and love. There are many drawings as well, drawing was one of his coping mechanisms and he explains how it Read more…

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Publisher’s Weekly – Best Summer Reads 2018

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Jonathan

  “I’m not a fan of memoir, but Santlofer has taken the tragedy of his wife’s sudden death after a common medical procedure and, without sacrificing the lightness of being, unraveled the events and feelings from both before and after. A painter and writer, he’s Read more…

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Literary Hub Review – Books You Should Read This July

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Jonathan

  “The short description of The Widower’s Notebook would be The Year of Magical Thinking from a male perspective. Both books are moving testimonials to grieving for a spouse who died suddenly, but Santofer’s book is not a mere copy of Didion’s. As Santlofer found Read more…

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