Ten months after being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, and four months after being pronounced in remission, Rick Palmer died unexpectedly as the result of a freak accident. His wife, Katherine, turned to writing to cope with her grief. This book is a collection of essays and poems from her first year of mourning. The journal begins a week after her husband's death and follows her thoughts and emotions during the first year of grief. Each passage is imbued with the poignancy and pain that followed the loss of the man she loved.

Losing a spouse is a unique circumstance that affects one's entire being, including disruption of daily habits and routines; loss of one's confidant, best friend, and sexual partner; coping with the pain of separation; and even the destruction of future plans, hopes, and dreams. These passages touch on many of these aspects of grieving, as well as grief triggers, and the different stages of grief. Each entry is evidence of the trials of becoming a widow or widower.

Anyone who has lost a loved one will find themselves in this collection of essays and poetry. This book is for those who have felt the pain of grief and separation following a loved one's death, but especially for the grieving widow.