By Nick Spalding

Alice has gone to the graveyard on her late husband’s birthday to visit Joe, Alice is in her 40s and a hairdresser. To her frustration, Kermit the Frog is there. Or more accurately, Ben is there to visit his late brother Harry. Ben’s in his 20s and his older brother has made a stipulation in his will that Ben must visit his grave, dressed in a costume of Harry’s choosing, on the same day every year. From there is an interesting look on how grief effects people. And how grieving people can help each other…

The book follows Alice and Ben over years. They challenge each other to try new things or to make changes. They continue through their attempts to “move on”. There are highs and lows – both in their relationship with each other and in each of their lives. I was surprised by how real much of it felt. Then there is the big reveal towards the end of the book. I didn’t really buy into the “coincidence” itself. The reactions by Alice and Ben… yes, maybe. But it didn’t feel true to the growth they’d had over the years. Otherwise, a good book about people dealing with grief.

314 Pages

3.75/5