#The Mourning Report #NetGalley

I tried to read this book, however, when I read, I found myself becoming depressed. The writing was good, but it was not the type of book for me.

Garvey grapples with the emotional wreckage of her mother's death when she was 18. She chronicles her mother's battles with cancers and her demise. She interviews people who assisted with her mother's last days from the priest to the hospice service. Garvey was trying to find solace from the past in order to face the future. It was a thoughtful, compelling memoir about how devastating death is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an emotional book as it deals with death, cancer, suicide attempt, and mental illness. I like how the author tries to make sense of her grief by interviewing several people who knew her mother or deal with death and dying for a living.

This was not the kind of read that I can sit here and say I thoroughly enjoyed. It was really hard-hitting and heartbreaking to read. Memoir’s always hit a little differently though. To read this book and feel so connected to the sadness and loss that the author has experienced for so many years was a lot to take in. Admittedly, I didn’t read this in one sitting and had to take a few breaks to gather myself. The book was full of feeling and spoke honestly about depression, suicide and the impact of grief.

I thought the way the story was written was really refreshing and interesting to follow. Her life events was explored in a way that watched Garvey jump through time, exploring memories of when she was younger - before her mother got sick - the period of time afterwards and how everything has affected her today. I also loved the authors approach on interviewing people who knew her mother. It added a lot of perspective to the book and it also expressed her need to find closure in the people who surrounded her whilst she was sick. There is no way a funeral director can encompass so much death and it not have a huge impact on him. But nobody thinks how death might affect those who endure it everyday. With this, it felt comforting to feel the authors repose as she heard stories of her mother and engaged with people who could give her what she was missing…time with the parent she lost.

Garvey’s emotional trauma was so honestly portrayed, the way she felt at different points of her life were never downplayed or dismissed to make it easier for the reader. It was all about the feelings she never really spoke about through fear of burdening others. I enjoyed the pace of this book. It is only 168 pages but the writing and engagement throughout the story made the book flow. I felt the length of the book was perfect, Garvey included everything we needed to hear in such few pages and it never felt like anything was missing.

A beautifully sad memoir by a very strong individual. The book is bravely outspoken and a short but impactful read.

This was a beautiful memoir discussing grief, pain, love, and healing. While brief, Caitlin took us on her own personal journey through grief and loss in a beautiful way. We see how the loss affected the author throughout her own life and coming to terms with her own mental health, pain, and mortality. The timeline jumped around slightly but was indicative of how grief does not have a specific timeline. Advanced copy was provided by Net Galley, Caitlin Garvey, and Homebound Publishing.

This book jumps around in time in its telling of the story. Not necessarily a bad thing, just the choice of the writer, Caitlin Garvey, who shares her extremely painful journey watching her mother pass away from cancer. It details her rough time putting her life back together and moving on after the loss; which some may relate to if they’ve lost someone that close to them. For a young woman like her, there could be no one closer, just as it is for most.

I found the book easy to become involved in and feel a part of. I read it in one go, other than being interrupted by a puppy’s mischief a time or three. I needed the breaks, as I’m the emotional type that tends to go through a lot of tissues reading books like this. I found it really moving and heartfelt. I would suggest it for anyone interested in grief, or memoirs, Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, the author Caitlin Garvey, and publisher Homebound Publications for my unbiased review.

A powerful memoir with serious subject matter. The Mourning Report shows the impact of grief and the process of mourning via interviews connected to Garvey's mother. An insightful read.