It's easier to see a non-fiction book, on picking up the pieces of your life and starting again, than to see a fiction novel on it.
However, with this novel, Kristan Higgins, has come up with a new perspective, and changes the narrative a little bit.
This book contains a “little” message for almost everyone. Which is why, it would be a little difficult to do this review, without a little spoiler.
"Pack up the Moon" is a contemporary romance novel, about Lauren who dies of lung cancer, and decides to write a letter, one for every month, to be presented to her husband within a year of her death.
Knowing he would be overcome with grief, she writes her husband, Josh a letter for every month for a full year, to help him cope with the grief of losing her.
Her letters are also aimed at leading him on a meaningful, beautiful, heartrending and most times humorous journey in finding joy and happiness without her.
This story is probably the most heart wrenching story I have read in a long while.
It is also hilarious and heartwarming, and I found myself crying and laughing in equal measures throughout the whole novel.
This book features three alternating narratives every few chapters. The first, is Lauren's pre-and post-diagnosis perspectives about her happiness in her marriage with Josh.
The second narrative, is Josh's perspective about Lauren's death, and the various ways he deals with his grief of losing her.
The third narrative, is a series of letters Lauren writes to her deceased dad about herself, her love life with Josh and her family.
This book was honestly very heavy in a delightful kind of way. Even though it's central theme was centered on grief, illness and death, the author presented them in a narrative so beautiful and humane, that readers are left with no option than to settle into the story.
The characters in this novel, were also all beautiful in their own way.
My favorite character in this novel, was oddly Lauren. She knew she was going to die, and prepared Josh ahead to deal with her grief.
The first month she does, before Josh begins to receive her letters, he is a mess, and almost at breaking point.
Her letters are his means of survival and hanging on to something.
When Josh receives her first letter, and gets up almost immediately, I almost sobbed so uncontrollably hard.
The fact that she thought about how he would deal with himself after her death, gave her a really special place in my heart.
Another part of this novel, I absolutely loved, was how some of Josh's experiences were so relatable.
It made me feel like most of my experiences were familiar with the author, and addressed clearly by the author.
I'm not going to leave out how much I enjoyed the relationship between Josh, and Lauren's pet, "Pebbles". They sort of kept each other going after her death.
As saddening as reading this book made me, it made me realize that moving on after a tragic experience is possible.
The author crafted this story in such a compelling and beautiful way, that it not only captured dealing with grief, and how to handle it, but also dealing with so many other experiences.
Higgins created an amazing sense of familiarity with this plot and I couldn't be nothing short of contented when I turned over the final pages.
Do I recommend this book? I most definitely do. This is one of those books that you need to read at least once in your life.
I also heavily recommend this book to anyone dealing with grief of any form. Lauren's letters might just be for you too, and might be a step to picking up the pieces of your life.
[thumbnail]((https://pixabay.com/photos/moon-trees-night-sky-night-5395836/)