The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go
By Amy E. Reichert
Gallery Books, 2018. 330 pgs. Fiction

The Optimist's Guide to Letting Go follows the life of Gina, a grilled cheese connoisseur. After the loss of her husband, Gina can barely keep her life together. Between running her own business, mothering a rebellious teenager, and placating her critical mother, she's not sure how she can go on without the support of her late husband. When her mother is unexpectedly hospitalized, an old secret surfaces that just might help Gina let go and move forward.

Honestly, this book wasn't what I expected. I picked it up without reading the synopsis and thought it was going to be a nonfiction guide to processing grief. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I realized it was an actual story with a plot. The characters were flawed, yet relatable, and the story was relationship driven (which I adore). The description of Gina's grilled cheese sandwiches had me salivating and resulted in me buying a lot of bread and cheese. The language was colorful at times, which was a turn off for me. As a whole, this book was well written and portrayed different manifestations of grief in a beautiful way.

HS