On Your Own

A Widow's Guide to Emotional and Financial Well-Being

De: Alexandra Armstrong, Mary R. Donahue Ph.D.

Narrado por: Mary R. Donahue, Alexandra Armstrong

This is the sixth edition of this extraordinarily thoughtful best-selling classic written by women for women addressing what is frequently the most stressful and emotionally challenging experience any married woman is forced to address. It provides both an understanding of what she is experiencing in the present and a road map to go from where she is to ultimately achieving emotional and financial wellbeing.

In this latest edition, they have upgraded what needed to be updated to keep the material current while maintaining its compassion for what the listener is experiencing. They have created the stories of four hypothetical women of different ages and circumstances that illustrate a variety of situations that most widows are likely to encounter. It is presented in a way that allows the widow to go at her own pace: a given chapter or the book in its entirety. It offers both practical tools and financial knowledge to move forward and emerge stronger.

This book covers necessary information. It is the contention of the authors, widows themselves, that emotional and financial healing is linked. In addition to the emotional roller coaster most widows experience following the death of their spouse, whether unexpected or the result of a protracted illness, is the fear of how will I survive financially. Financial insecurity increases anxiety and often overwhelming feeling of being alone without the resources to maintain her existing lifestyle or meet her financial responsibilities.

Feeling out of control and alone is often terrifying and compounds the grieving process. Information contributes to preparedness. Knowledge is always invaluable when dealing with any issue. The authors believe that this book will help any widow find the path that is right for her. Over and over again, they have been told how this book was like a life raft for them, enabling them to understand financial matters better than ever before and not feel so alone while dealing with the magnitude of loss.

©2006, 2011, 2024 On Your Own Publishing Company, LLC (P)2024 Mary Donahue, Alexandra Armstrong

Power in the Voice

There is power in the voice. Both Alexandra Armstrong and Mary Donahue have soothing, strong, honest voices and hearing them tell their stories of widowhood is compelling. I had skimmed their information-rich book before so I knew that I would re-discover important details of how to prepare for the inevitable of widowhood. I didn’t expect to be riveted by the stories and moved to action.

Listening to “On Your Own” was like a sitting in a coffee shop with a friend and sharing the personal details of grief, worry, planning and recovery. Alex and Mary told not only their personal stories but composite stories of women of different ages, circumstances and emotional independence. I have a will. I understand finances. I have independence. But I also have a marriage – decades long - and I realize that at some point I’ll probably be in these women’s shoes. I know I need to review my financial plans, and even more, my emotional understanding of really being on my own.

Audio books are deeply personal because you are listening closely to the sound of someone talking directly to you. Alex and Mary are professionals who have spent their careers giving advice. More importantly, they are empathetic women who have now experienced the reality of widowhood themselves – a subject they first wrote about in 1993. Today their advice is deeper, more relatable, and shared with both emotion and specific strategies for success.

I listened as if I was with friends and finished with a list of “to dos.” I needed their advice. I am certain thousands of other women do too