Swimming the Channel: A Widow's Journey to Life

Rating:
Summary: This book moved me to tears and warmed my heart.
Review: Sally Friedman has written an unflinching account of her very special relationship with her husband. His death on the morning of her journey to swim the English Channel was a heartbreaking tragedy which almost stopped Friedman's own life in its tracks. Instead, she has expressed her love and respect for him in this meaningful testament to the memory of their years together. Forced to face a life that was irrevocably different than the life she loved so much, Friedman has found a way to live on without forcing herself to push Paul out of her mind. At times her honesty brought me to tears; just as often, it warmed my heart. Friedman reminds us that we must all be careful not to waste opportunities for happiness with the ones we love.

Rating:
Summary: A real tear-jerker, akin to "Terms of Endearment," excellent
Review: This book should have a warning lable on it: "# 1 Tear Jerker." Don't get me wrong, Swimming the Channel, does ultimately include the author's triumph over pain and hardship, however it is not as the title might seem to suggest, a book about a swimmer's triumph over the English Channel. The book takes the reader through an artist's struggle to come to terms with the loss of her husband. It is a deeply personal and passionate account of how Sally used her long-distance swimming talent throughout her struggles and losses. The book is written in a journal-style that is sometimes shockingly honest, but always gripping.