The Obituary Writer

By: Ann Hood

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert

From best-selling author Ann Hood comes a sophisticated and suspenseful novel about the poignant lives of two women living in different eras.

On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, a young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless but secure marriage or to follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover, who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between these two women will change Claire’s life in unexpected and extraordinary ways.

Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope.

©2013 Ann Hood (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

The book was a relaxing read

Wonderfully written book. Ann Hood blends the lives of two women related in marriage into a story of how we need to live our lives for today instead of trying to holding onto the dreams of what may never have happened.

A delightful plum of a novel

Would you consider the audio edition of The Obituary Writer to be better than the print version?

I'm not sure if it's better, but it certainly works really well in audio. Some literary stories don't translate well, but THE OBITUARY WRITER comes to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Birdie. I really connected with her.

Have you listened to any of Tavia Gilbert’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first full book listening to Gilbert. She's pretty terrific. Her reading has a little affectation to it, but it works well for this piece so maybe it's intended. Her male characters all sounded very similar (with exception of the Italian), but since there weren't many men in the same scene they were easy to differentiate.

If you could rename The Obituary Writer, what would you call it?

It's the perfect title.

Any additional comments?

I love Ann Hood's writing and this is one of her best.

Well crafted story

This book draws you with its wonderfully woven tail of life in 2 different decades.

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Quick read. Hokey at times.

This was a light quick read. Liked the intertwining of historical events throughout the book. Did find the story to be a little predictable and hokey at times but otherwise a great tale.

Loved this book!

What other book might you compare The Obituary Writer to and why?

The theme is similar to books written by Kate Morton. I enjoy reading books that span 20 to 50 years. This one had a neat little twist.

Loss, Grief, Life

Ann Hood has crafted a rather beautiful, albeit short, tale of two women living in two time periods who both struggle with coping with loss (not only through death, but the loss of dreams and hopes) and how to move forward with their lives. The listener realizes almost immediately that these two stories must intersect at some point and you may figure out how well before the author reveals the connection between the two, but that will not detract from the tale. One of the stories is set primarily in 1919 and the other in 1961 and Hood does a nice job of bringing the listener into both time periods so that the setting is clearly playing a role in the story at all times. The characters are delicately drawn and distinct in this book - strangely, I found Vivien (the turn of the century character) much more independent and easier to identify with than the more contemporary Claire of the 60's but both women "rang true" as people. The stories are moving and interesting but this is not a really deep study of grief and it is not really long enough to make the listener sad, but certainly elicits some melancholy. My only real criticism of the book is the ending. After twining the two women's stories together throughout the book, the ending comes on very quickly and does not quite satisfy. Claire's story definitely seemed to end in the wrong place. A major aspect of Claire's grief would undoubtedly be some major guilt because her own very bad decisions lead to the worst of her loss, but the story "wraps up" so fast after the tragic event that there is no real exploration of that.

The book is too short to provide great new insights into grief, but it is a nice study of two women in different eras dealing with loss and the effect of the societies they live in on their coping mechanisms and their ability to move on.

Tavia Gilbert provides very competent narration. Her male voices are not great, but this book is quite "female-centric" so that is a minor flaw.

Good and Bad News

I loved Vivien, the 1919 title character of "The Obituary Writer". Her story is haunting and leaps off the page. She's a survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake with unresolved issues of loss and uncertainty - and she fills some of her own need and anguish in dealing brilliantly with the grief and mourning of others in her obituary tributes.

The book is divided, alternating Vivien's story with that of Claire, an early-1960's suburban housewife. Claire's life and trials are, unfortunately, not as compelling. She's a very familiar example of "Feminine Mystique" discontent of the era. There's a wonderful bit about the local wives' betting pool on what Jackie Kennedy will wear to the Presidential inauguration festivities, but mostly I was just anxious to get back to 1919.

Much of the anticipation and suspense of "The Obituary Writer" is in connecting these two women somehow. Unfortunately, that process isn't entirely successful and comes across as rushed and pretty much contrived. It's not a crime for a novel to leave some unanswered questions and unresolved issues - confusion, frustration, and the feeling that something is deeply wrong do not, however, add up to a satisfying conclusion.

So, there was disappointment in this listening experience, but I will not soon forget the lessons that Vivien has to teach about grief and memory. Because of that, and because of Vivien's early story, I do give something of a qualified recommendation to this book.

Sad and compelling

This was so well narrated.
In this case the narration added a depth to this story it may not have had, had I read it.

Great portrayal of the 1950s - 60s Suburban Wife

I realize that the intention of this book is to highlight the responsibilities and social conventions by which women were expected to abide during this time period, but it kills me. I am afraid I cannot do this book justice by explaining exactly how I loved and hated it at the same time. Now, I was very clear on the storyline involving Claire and Peter, however, the storyline involving Vivienne completely threw me through a loop. I never really got the true essence of her story and how it connected with Claire's. Otherwise, I gained a lot of perspective on gender roles and etiquette of the times which I thoroughly enjoyed.