Good Night, I Love You by Jene Ray Barranco

She was awakened by the dogs barking. Police officers were at the door. They were there to report a fatality. Her husband of over twenty years had been killed in an automobile accident. With a masterful use of language, Barranco tells of her journey through grief.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to understand how one woman made it through the tragic loss of her husband into a life on a new dimension. Barranco found healing in writing. She tells of friends who helped her through the first weeks, grief washing over her at unexpected times, the numbness, the silence with and from God, the paper work, having to make decisions because life goes on.

I really appreciated Barranco's open and honest writing. The book is a good exploration of how people handle grief and make the journey through it. Each of her children handled the grief in their own way, an enlightening look at how grief is handled in a variety of ways.

The strength of this book is Barranco's writing style. It is beautiful. I savored many of her sentences, letting their impact flow over me.

I recommend this book. It is evidence of God's strength supporting Barranco on her journey through grief. She ran toward God, not away from Him. She experienced His grace daily. Her hope did not die. Hers is an encouraging account of doing the hard things with God by her side. It is not a “how to” book of going through grief but her own personal journey.

Food for thought: “God is the great Creator of life. I am made in His image. He's showing me how to create life and beauty in this broken, fallen world.” (190)

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jene Ray Barranco is a motivational speaker to Christian and secular groups, churches, and women's conferences, and founder of a ministry to single moms. The mother of three children, she lives in Jackson, Mississippi. You can follow her blog at http://jenebarranco.blogspot.com/ although the content is dated. You can also read newer posts from Barranco at www.eyesstr8ahead.blogspot.com .

FaithWords, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.