The Obituary Writer

By: Ann Hood

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

From best-selling author Ann Hood comes a sophisticated and suspenseful novel about the poignant lives of two women living in different eras.

On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, a young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless but secure marriage or to follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover, who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between these two women will change Claire’s life in unexpected and extraordinary ways.

Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.

©2013 Ann Hood (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great Book Club Selection

I enjoyed this book and think it would be a great book club pick. The exploration of grief from the perspective of 100 yrs ago was quite interesting to me as death is now one of our last taboo subjects. The parallel stories of the death of a marriage in the 1960's and the death of a lover in the 1900's was an interesting contrast. This book is all about the choices we make based on the societal norms of the time, grief and how we overcome and grow from it.

A good read

What did you love best about The Obituary Writer?

I enjoyed going back and forth from 1961 to 1919 with the two stories. I figured out the connection long before the hints. I felt more connected to Vivien as I have experienced the loss that she did and I understood her better.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I think it was quite enjoyable the way it was.

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

My first time listening to the performer, she did a good job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

No idea.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this novel, the plot kept my attention, and the narrator was pleasant to the ears.

highly recommend

timeless. sort of sad, yet not depressing. Will read more from this author. well narrated, too.

Looking for a Depressing Story...well here it is..

Loss...Grief...oh boy! All the characters & their stories were depressing...except Sebastian. Well, what more could I expect with "Obituary" in the title.

Wow!

When I first started listening I was afraid I'd gotten a romance novel. That wasn't what I wanted. I gave it a little more time. I'm so glad I did. This book moved me to tears more than once.

Parallel stories of love and loss

Would you consider the audio edition of The Obituary Writer to be better than the print version?

It might be, but I have not seen the written version.

If you could take any character from The Obituary Writer out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Vivian, because she had a deep understanding of what it takes to help a person process grief, although she had her own deep sense of loss through much of the book. The important thing was that in her role of writing obituaries, she knew that simple facts, such as birth and death dates, do not say anything about who the person *was* in their lives. She understood the power of healing narrative.

Any additional comments?

This book is an unusual exploration of human yearnings and grief told through parallel stories of two women struggling to find love, and make sense of losses through challenging circumstances. For one woman, Vivian, her lover has been lost in the great San Francisco earthquake, and she cannot give up hope of finding him. Claire, a woman living in the early 60's is agonizing over being with her husband or a man she has had an affair with (whose baby she is probably carrying). Initially it seems their lives have no connection, but the mystery unfolds through the book, which reveals how even the distance of half a century may be closed in unusual ways.

The most powerful parts of this book are the moving passages in which grief is explored. Through telling the stories of people who have died (as preparation for the obituaries she will be writing) Vivian helps those who are grieving bring the dead back to life in and through memory, which is a very healing process.

The attention to details in description also brings the entire book to life for the reader. Just as Vivian asks mourners for the smallest details of the lives of their loved departed, the author gives us small details of description that makes this book rich in a way that draws the reader deeply into it. Although the themes of death and loss permeate this book, it is a very compelling listen.

It is also very interesting to step back in time to two different eras, and realize what women's lives were like then. Each woman is facing and understanding her own struggle through the social ideas and pressures of her own time.

Ann Hood Touches My Heart

I have read all of Ann Hood's novels and there is never a time that I am not deeply moved. Her writing has a delicious simplicity and even when you know where the plot is going, you can't help but be irretrievably drawn to how she gets you there.

The narrator is not without ability, but her work would be much stronger if she avoided the use of a tremulous voice throughout.

unique obits made great vehicle for story

What made the experience of listening to The Obituary Writer the most enjoyable?

Strong female characters, dealt with various circumstances and tragedy over the course of their lives. The story is told by the two main characters, living in different eras, but whose lives eventually intersect. I loved the back-and-forth between the generations, and the use of the unique obituaries which expressed both sorrow and love-of-life.

The character Claire struggled with society's expectations, as did so many women in 1960. Kennedy was just inaugurated, and the Feminine Mystique hadn't been written yet. Claire, a suburban housewife, struggled with boredom and lack of fulfillment.

Vivian, the obituary writer, was an unusual woman to have lived in the early 1900s, and who found fulfillment in her calling as an obituary writer. Her character made me want to be an obituary writer - a totally different kind than the ones in the paper I read every day.

What did you like best about this story?

That the characters did things they regretted, dealt with circumstances that were beyond their control, and managed to keep moving forward.

Which character – as performed by Tavia Gilbert – was your favorite?

Claire, the uneasy, 60s housewife.

Any additional comments?

Actually, I wished this book had been longer. I enjoyed it so much I just wanted it to keep going.

Must listen/read!

Any additional comments?

I found myself so attached to Vivien and my heart went out to hear. I would highly recommend this book.