Good Grief by Lolly Winston
We're all familiar with the stages of grief - whether we've experienced them firsthand or watched someone else go through them.  Denial, Anger, Oreos, Depression, Bargaining, Acceptance.  Okay, maybe Oreos are not considered an official stage.  But sometimes it takes unusual measures, and Sophie needs all the help she can get.

Sophie is a 36 year old widow.  She's lost her vibrant, intelligent husband to cancer, and she's a bit shell shocked.  As much as she'd like to be the dignified Jackie O-type widow, it's just not going to happen.  Sophie's stuck in denial and sinking fast and deep into depression.  She's trying her best to eat and sleep away her misery.  Then comes the day she shows up at work in her bathrobe and bunny slippers.  It's official - she's hit rock bottom.  It's time to make some drastic changes.

A fresh start is what Sophie needs, and her college girlfriend convinces her to move from Silicon Valley to small town Oregon.  It's time to find a new place to live, find a lower stress job, and move forward with her life.  So, Sophie gives up her public relations career and begins waitressing.  Waitressing doesn't prove to be low stress, but it does become the first step down a new rewarding career path.  A path which moves one step back before two steps forward. 

Sophie also hopes to quell her loneliness by becoming a Big Sister.  She dreams of a cute little girl who likes to play checkers and go out for ice cream.  What she gets is a troubled 13 year old who somehow finds her way into Sophie's heart despite her crazy antics.

Speaking of Sophie's heart, she's soon confronted with the dilemma of dating again.  Can she actually do this?  Can she put herself in a position to be hurt or left again?  How can you live happily ever after if you never allow yourself to love again?  A handsome Shakespeare festival actor is giving her good reason to consider these questions.

Good Grief is a charming book.  It's the story of an everyday girlfriend who discovers the strength within to pull her life back together after tragedy.  Her journey is not a direct, quick route, but one that takes time and has setbacks.  But you cheer Sophie on and catch glimpses of yourself in her.  When put to the test, most of us are stronger than we think, and Sophie is fictional proof.

About the author:  Lolly Winston is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Redbook, Family Circle, Working Mother, New Woman, and many other publications.  She lives with her husband in California .
Good Grief by Lolly Winston