At some point in our lives, we’ll be affected by grief. It may be the loss of a loved one––a parent, a sibling, a relative, a friend, or even a favorite pet. We can’t know exactly how grief will affect us … until it does.

Judy Lipson, author of Celebration of Sisters: It Is Never Too Late to Grieve, lived much of her life mourning her two sisters, who died at young ages. Judy desperately missed her sisters, Jane and Margie, and was devastated that she could not share life’s special moments with them.

In her heartfelt and honest account, Judy faces her grief, turns her lifelong journey into hope, and celebrates her sisters’ memories. Judy, thank you for baring your heart and soul and for sharing your journey of grief.

donna o'donnell figurski - author

I was drawn to this memoir because I have an older sister who enjoys ice skating. The book begins with the deaths of Judy’s sisters, which was jarring. I was hoping to get to know the sisters a little before learning about their deaths, but at the same time it set the tone for what the memoir is.

The writing was very matter-of-fact, and I would’ve preferred a bit more flourish to the language. However, perhaps this story needed to be told straight. I enjoyed learning about Jane and Margie throughout their childhoods the most, but the grief study chapters were also very interesting.

Something I noted was that Margie’s death was ambiguous. It’s described as being caused by her eating disorder but also blamed on her battle with mental illness. I couldn’t understand if her death had been self-inflicted or not. This isn’t important to the story, of course, and perhaps the author didn’t feel comfortable sharing the details. It was just a question that weighed on my mind and continues to linger.

A novel like this is difficult to critique because it deals with such a sensitive topic and is so personal to many people. I was touched by the stories, adored the photographs included, and found myself tearing up at times thinking of what it might be like to lose my own sister. I settled on a three star rating because the writing style was a little too straightforward for my personal liking and I think the order the story is told in would be more effective if done differently. I recommend this book for anyone struggling with grief, I think some of the lessons Judy learned would be very helpful to others.

Thank you NetGalley and BQB Publishing for an advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.