PS, I LOVE YOU is a powerful character study that focuses on grieving and healing

This book is about a married couple called Holly and Gerry who grew up together as childhood sweethearts and knew one another so well they could finish off each others sentences, and were basically loves young dream. Everything we all dream of finding when we meet Mr Right.

After fifteen years of marriage their dreams for the future are brutally snatched away from them when Gerry finally goes to see a Doctor after complaining about violent headaches. Thinking like we all do that it may be down to stress or eyestrain, Holly and Gerry are told that it is infact a Brain Tumour and whats more it is inoperable.

Within a year of being diagnosed with the tumour Gerry takes his last breath and Holly deals with her loss in the only way she knows how to and that is to lock herself away from the rest of the world and surround herself by Gerry's possessions.

Throughout the book we meet many people in Holly's life whom she learns to open herself upto and share her grief and her anger as well as her hopes and dreams for the future. Everyone from her two best friends whom she has known all her life, to her family whom she doesnt really know or understand at te beginning of the book, but by the final chapter Holly has got to know her family unit and had improved her relationship with not only her mother and father but also with her sister and two brothers really well and can rely on them when she needs them.


(",) The story (",)

We are taken back through Holly's memories to the times she shared with Gerry and it becomes apparent that she was a bit clumsy and forgetful and Gerry would often joke that she should write a list of 'things to do' so that she wouldnt walk into things - like buy a lamp for the bedroom so she didnt stub her toe when she turned the light off and simple things like that.

Then out of the blueo Holly gets a phone call from her mother telling her that there is an envelope addressed for her and that it had been at their house for quite a while and she had no idea what it was but as it was addressed to Holly her mother thought she should come and collect it. Holly has the suspicion that it could be Gerry's list but isnt too sure.

After plucking up the courage to face people, Holly collects the envelope from her mother and see's it is Gerrys handwriting emblazoned upon the envelope and inside he leaves Holly a note explaining the list and that there is an envelope for every month left in the year and that she must obey whatever is written.

We are taken through the next nine months of Hollys life meeting the challenges she faces both from Gerry and from the challenges her has set her, Holly is happy in the knowledge that Gerry is with her everytime she opens the next envelope and all along he is teaching her that she can move on in her life and that although he is gone, he will always be part of her memories and a chapter in her life.

Through her family and friends Holly learns that life does go on with Gerrys final message reading "Dont be afraid to fall in love again. Open your heart and follow where it leads you...and remember, shoot for the moon...PS. I will always love you.

(",) My opinion (",)

I really did enjoy reading this book and yes it was a very sad story to read and the situation Holly found herself in was one i would never wish upon my worst enemy. The whole story is truly heartbreaking and once i started to read it i couldnt put it down, i had to know what each of the envelopes said to find out what was in store for Holly.

Holly herself mirrors everything you would expect a grieving widow to do, all the dreams and hopes of being able to live those precious memories over and over again, her anger at Gerry being taken away from her at such a young age, her anger at her friends when they announce they are getting married and having children - everything Holly wanted and still wants in life. As a character Holly takes the reader with her on her downward spiral just after Gerrys death and then we go on the rollercoaster ride with her as she lives for the first day of every month waiting to see what Gerry has intore for her.

For those who like reading chick lit with that something extra then you should read this book, it really does draw you into Hollys life and you will laugh out loud and cry with Holly as you go through the 9 months after Gerry's death with her.