The Light of the World, Elizabeth Alexander
The Light of the World, Elizabeth Alexander
5 Rating(s)
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The Light of the World
A Memoir

Author: Elizabeth Alexander

Narrator: Elizabeth Alexander

Unabridged: 3 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/21/2015

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A deeply resonant memoir for anyone who has loved and lost, from acclaimed poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander.

In The Light of the World, Elizabeth Alexander finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband. Channeling her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid price, Alexander tells a love story that is, itself, a story of loss. As she reflects on the beauty of her married life, the trauma resulting from her husband's death, and the solace found in caring for her two teenage sons, Alexander universalizes a very personal quest for meaning and acceptance in the wake of loss.
The Light of the World is at once an endlessly compelling memoir and a deeply felt meditation on the blessings of love, family, art, and community. It is also a lyrical celebration of a life well-lived and a paean to the priceless gift of human companionship. For those who have loved and lost, or for anyone who cares what matters most, The Light of the World is required reading.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sue on April 02, 2015

Elizabeth Alexander met Ficre Ghebreyesus in New York City. He of the shaved head, the amazing recipes (he was a chef as well as an artist), they fell in love quickly and stayed in love and involved throughout their marriage. It appears to have been a marriage of spirits, souls, bodies and minds. Al......more

Goodreads review by Anne on February 16, 2022

Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club March 2022 selection In Alexander's words: "The story seems to begin with catastrophe but in fact began earlier and is not a tragedy but rather a love story." The author's husband died just four days after his fiftieth birthday. A few years later, Alexander looks back on th......more

Goodreads review by Trish on January 22, 2016

It is said the way to deal with loss is to remember. Alexander chooses the most gorgeous memories in her elegy for her husband Ficre, like a bowl of blowsy, fragrant roses or a rarely-blooming South African bonsai covered in pink blossoms that exude a sweet perfume. The unusual capacity of both arti......more


Awards

  • Pulitzer Prize
  • National Book Critics Circle
  • PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award