Many thanks to NetGalley and Counterpoint Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Liz Tichenor - 5 stars for a devastatingly beautiful glimpse into the personal loss of Tichenor's 40-day-old baby boy.

Liz and Jesse Tichenor were settling into their life in Lake Tahoe, with Jesse running a religious camp and Liz an Episcopalian priest, dividing her duties between the camp and a church in Reno. Liz's mother's death by suicide after long-time alcoholism issues was still a gaping hole that she was dealing with. They were parents of 2-year-old Alice and newborn Fritz. When Fritz inexplicably died in the middle of the night, their world collapsed. This is the story of how Liz found her way through her grief with her faith, her friends and family, and running.

This book is raw and real. I'm not sure I've ever read such a intimate look into someone's grief and how she dealt with it on a daily basis. Liz had to not only deal with her and her husband's grief but had to explain to Alice what happened to Fritz. And how could she stand in front of her congregation and speak of hope and positivity when her world had caved in? There were so many touching moments in this book - Liz is remarkably blessed with a community of friends who were there for her in such a close and personal way. I loved the baby shower idea with the handwritten notes and how friends opened their hearts and homes for Liz and Jesse and helped them process their grief together. I loved the spirituality in this book and the visions Liz had that helped her move forward. Ultimately, this is a story of hope in moving forward into a new normal. This is a difficult read but it's also beautifully written - I couldn't put it down.

This book was a devastating and meaningful portrayal of grief. I deeply admire the author for sharing her story and appreciate the chance to read it.

If you need to read something that will rip your heart out and then tear it to pieces, well, this is the book for you. The author goes through the excruciating details of her emotions after the tragic loss of her son. It's an incredibly tough read, but only because the author is so raw and vulnerable that it feels too close to home and too real. We've all lost someone, but I think so few of us are in touch with what really happened, like we're almost afraid to talk about it. This book is so incredible and even though it hurt my heart, it was definitely something I needed to read.

5/5 Stars

Liz Tichenor's memoir of loss, love, grief, and hope is a gift that shimmers and aches. Her storytelling weaves poetically through years and communities, revealing the surprising strength she discovers as she traces her experience of living through and on this side of her newborn son's death and her mother's death.

This book may be hard reading for those who have experienced the loss of someone they love. The author doesn't "pretty-up" the rawness of her grief and anger. But Tichenor isn't permanently buried by her sadness. In her Christian faith, in its rituals and beliefs, the Episcopal priest is companioned by hope and sustained as much by mystical visions as she is by delicious meals with friends and her running life. It's a hopeful story, a story of new life springing out of and alongside death.

#NetGalley

This book was so heartwarming. Although I teared up many times, I had to keep reading. Such a page-turner.
Definitely will resonate with you long after the last page.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I received an advance copy of, The Night Lake by, Liz Tichenor. I thought this book was how to get through grief, but mostly its about, the loss of her son. I could not imagine losing a child, and all she went through. I just thought it would be a book about grief.