Andrea Bear’s novel, Grieving Daughters Club, captures the myriad ways we grieve as women. We are daughters, and we are daughters of the Father. Whether our earthly relationship as a daughter is a happy one or fraught with pain, it is our heavenly relationship with the Father that consoles and heals.
Through her characters, Bear explores the complexity of grief surrounding the death of a parent, but also touches upon metaphorical (and physical) deaths endured by the characters, such as the death of a child, the ending (or changing) of relationships, and in many ways, the little deaths to aspirations and dreams.
All of these themes are explored through friendships that develop over the course of a book club that is aptly named a “book talk.” The meetings use a book as a backdrop for conversation, enjoying wine, and building community.
When things in these women’s lives take a dark turn, it is in this community that they find the strength and support to overcome their grief.
Well-written and engaging, with interesting characters and plot twists, Bear captures a wide spectrum of grief responses and the role of community, relationship, and faith in healing.