Anna Quindlen’s writing leaves me gutted each time. The characters and details are so real you are never for a moment feeling this is fiction. I was often moved to tears while reading and reflected on the loss of my own father. How we form a jigsaw person where the memories we have are pieces. I also am the oldest of four with three younger brothers so I strongly related to Ali. Quindlen’s writing is perfection. Read this and your grasp of grief will have a much greater understanding.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. This is a very early copy of After Annie by Anna Quindlen, I believe it is going to be released in March 2024. Anna Quindlen is a favorite author of mine, and I give this one 5 stars. Annie is a mother of 4, married to her high school boyfriend. She works in a nursing home and he is a plumber. Her best friend went to college and is very successful, and she wants more for Annie, but Annie is very happy in her life. At the very beginning of the story, Annie dies from a brain aneurysm, she collapses on the floor in front of her whole family. The book is told from several perspectives; her husband Bill, only daughter and oldest child Ali, and best friend Annemarie. They are all struggling in their own ways, Annie was the one that everyone relied on when things got hard. A few other notable characters are the school therapist Mena, who really helps. And Ali’s friend who is going through a lot even though her family looks good from the outside. It’s a great family story, showing sadness, resilience, hope. I highly recommend this, hope you can read when it comes out. #netgalley #annaquindlen #afterannie #familystory #motherdaughter #familyrelationships #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

The Brown family must learn to live again after the unexpected death of Annie. Only 37, the wife and mother of four died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. Husband Bill has never had much to do with the day-to-day running of the household or dealing with the children. Thirteen year old Ali takes on as much as she can in caring for the house and her 3 younger brothers. Her mother's best friend, Annemarie, helps some but without Annie, Annemarie and Bill tend to clash. Annemarie has her own demons to fight.

Quindlen follows the Browns through a year and shows how each member of the family and Annemarie as well, grow and learn to go on without Annie. Ali deals with more loss than just that of her mother, her best friend disappears from her life and Ali faces some harsh truths in dealing with that. But each character prevails and manages to move on, with Annie often in their thoughts. The love they all had for one another, as Quindlen tells us, doesn't go away.

Fans of Quindlen's other books will enjoy this addition to her work. And anyone who likes a sad story, with a bittersweet ending.

After Annie (2024)
By Anna Quindlen
Random House, 304 pages.
★★★★

It’s not easy to pen a novel in which the protagonist is AWOL, but Anna Quindlen pulled it off with aplomb. The titular character of After Annie is Annie Fonzheimer Brown, a 37-year-old Pennsylvania “super” wife and mom to husband Bill and their offspring: Ali (Alexandra), Ant(hony), Benji, and Jamie. She is a natural organizer who orchestrates the chaos of living in the too-small house owned by her difficult (and often spiteful) mother-in-law Dora, provides care for residents at the nursing home at which she works, and birddogs her needy best friend Annemarie. But, one winter’s night right after dinner, Annie falls to the floor and dies of an aneurysm.

In other words, Quindlen’s novel is exactly as its title implies: after Annie. It is a winter-to-winter tale that closely parallels the five stages of grief famously outlined by Dr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. The problem with such easy-to-comprehend formulae is that they fail to tell us how and when individuals manifest those stages. Quindlen appreciates the messy complexity of grief and that no two people experience it exactly the same way. Bill, for example, is an in-demand plumber who depended on Annie to keep the family and his business running smoothly. (He also never wanted four children!) His denial shows in his feelings of hopelessness and in his reliance on his barely teenaged daughter Ali to step into Annie’s shoes. Benji, though, maintains the fiction that his mother is in the hospital and will be home soon.

The stages of grief also fail to consider other external pressures¬–like Bill’s imperious mother who dislikes pretty much anything and anybody that is contrary to her preferences and solipsism. This includes her older daughter-in-law Kathy, Annie alive and dead, and Annemarie. Bill isn’t too sure of Annmarie either. She and Annie have been bonded since girlhood, but in ways that only close friends understand or share. It would be safe to say that no one grieves for Annie more than Annemarie. Annie was literally her lifeline, the person who cut through her self-delusion, was the rock solid counterpart to Annemarie’s addictive personality, and wasn’t afraid to apply tough love when necessary. Even Annie’s patients who regularly observe death are shattered by her passing.

In a nutshell, the problem for the survivors of all ages is that a person as beloved as Annie seems irreplaceable. Quindlen subtly heightens the sense of loss via flashback conversations and present tense prose. Bill tries to disappear vocationally and emotionally, while Annemarie¬¬–who built a business of acting as a middle person in retailing and distributing Amish and Mennonite handicrafts–struggles to remain engaged in either her work or her marriage. Nor are the children thriving; Ant is angry, for instance, and Ali, though externally evolving to mirror her mother’s competence and physical features, has too much on her plate, including the gnawing fear that her best friend is hiding a dark secret.

How long does one grieve? There’s no magic formula for that, but tell it to the young widows, divorcees, and singles who see Bill as a hunky standup guy who would make a good partner. He certainly embodies those characteristics, but it’s safe to say that he also has unresolved issues. One of them involves the need to nurture his children, not just provide for them. Another is to redefine his life on his own terms, a process that entails accepting help without biting off more than he wishes to chew. Can he, for example, prevail upon realtor Liz Donahue to extricate him from Dora’s house without giving her false hopes? Ali faces similar pressures. She knows she needs support her father can’t give, but what could possibly be more problematic among peers in an insular town than speaking with a counselor? Especially a small Filipina woman who grew up in Puerto Rico named Mena Cruz? (Ali has to remind Grandmother Dora that Puerto Ricans are Americans!)

One could tag After Annie as five stages of grief in five seasons. But if you’re expecting any sort of conventional happy ending, Quindlen has written a tragic drama, not a fairytale. Most people recover from loss, rather than overcome it. Put in Kübler-Ross’ terms, they come to acceptance, not amnesia. To reiterate, Annie Brown remains a living presence, even after death.

Rob Weir

It feels like I've been thrown in the world of Ann -- with Annie who died in the first chapter, Annemarie who was her best friend and of course, Anna Quindlen that wrote this heartfelt story.

This is a book that people who are grieving can especially relate to with Annie’s death and her family that was left behind. Her husband, Bill, and four children: Alexandria, Anthony, Benjamin and James were trying to move on from that one moment when they were having dinner to the next instant when they witnessed their mother’s last breath. She died quickly from a brain aneurysm. Annie complained of headaches – like many of us – but her husband said he never thought it would lead to her death.

The story is sad and slow. It takes readers through the seasons of grieving and everyone changed from what happened. While I can see how much of an impact it would make on some people, my mind kept drifting in parts as I couldn’t relate to the characters. However, it was well written for those that need some comfort in their lives.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing with the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 12, 2024.

4.5 stars. This was a difficult read as the mother of young children, but a beautiful portrait of grief and life after death of a loved one.

I normally love Anna Quindlen’s books, but this one fell a bit short for me. It moved slowly and I just couldn’t get into it.
After Annie collapses and dies during dinner of an aneurysm, her husband Bill, daughter Ali and best friend AnneMarie are left to pick up the pieces. The book moves through how various people are affected by Annie’s death. I never quite connected with the characters and didn’t feel the heart of the story.

This is a slow moving book about a family after a major loss, that of their matriarch, Annie. The book circulates between main characters including Annie's drug addled best friend, her eldest 13 year old daughter and husband. I found some parts more engaging, especially that of the daughter. The thoughts around loss rang true to me, as someone who lost a parent at a young age.

After Annie
I usually like Elizabeth Berg’s novels, but I did not enjoy this one.
The novel chronicles one year of the Brown family, where the mother, Annie dies in the first sentence of the book. Bill is the father, who is suddenly left alone to raise his teen age daughter, Ali and four boys. His support system is Annemarie, Annie’s best friend, Kathy, Annie’s sister and Bill’s obnoxious mother, Dora. I found Ali at 13 the most like able character, who literally took charge of the family and thought help in her grieving. I don’t think, Annemarie’s drug addiction and Ali’s friend, Jenny’s sexual abuse added to the story. The novel moved painfully slow, I found it boring.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

I had never read Annia Quindlen before and it was a delight to discover her. At the beginning of After Annie - Annie Brown collapses on the kitchen floor while complaining of a headache. Annie is a vibrant mother and friend who leaves her 4 children - husband Bill and best friend Annemarie at a loss to continue. This is a deeply felt story of small town grief - that hits all the right notes. The writing is excellent - subtle - and deftly jumping back and forth between the past and present - as each character deals with their own personal grief process and wrestles with their own demons in the process. To be fair - there is a slight 'after-school special" aspect to some of these stories but the writing is so strong as are the characterizations - that the story holds up to potential cliched sentiments. The eldest daughter Ali, husband Bill, and best friend Annemarie are particularly colored in depth and go through their journeys through grief and loss. There is no happy ending - but it is satisfying for all the characters and believable. It is a story that ends in hope. This is a celebration of ordinary people in a small town dealing with life and death - and Anna Quindlen has a firm understanding of her characters. There are many, many moving moments - human - without being sentimental. And though you might think the subject matter is depressing - I found it lovely and uplifting. Brova!
I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley from Random House | Harmony & Rodale. Thanks!

Another great book from Anna Quindlen. A young mother dies and leaves behind a husband, children and a best friend. How they cope, will bring you to tears. Her elders child Ail takes over the role as mother. Her son Anthony, gets in trouble and doesn’t know how to cope, her friend who has a drug habit. You will feel every emotion that these people feel. I sure that this will hit the best seller list.

After Annie is one of the saddest books I have ever read. That being said, it is also one of the best books I have read. Anna Quindlen is a master in her exploration of grief and how it affects different people who love Annie. I have always enjoyed Anna Quindlen's writing and this is one of her best.

Anna Quindlen is one of my favorite authors and this novel did not disappoint. I read this in two days while I was recovering from a reaction from my latest Covid vaccine.

Annie Brown, loving wife and mother of four, dies of an aneurysm in front of her husband and children. This novel deals with the aftermath of her death on her family and her best friend. Yes, this novel is sad, but it’s also very heartwarming.

My only quibble with the book was it’s rather saccherine ending, but I have to admit to shedding some tears, so maybe it’s exactly how this novel should have ended!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ After Annie by Anna Quindlen. This was a book about how a family & a close friend learn to cope after the surprise death of a wife, mother and friend. -who was basically the heart & soul of the family. It was a hard read for me as the only person I liked, died. The last chapter was the best and brought the rating up to 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, thank you Random Publishing for allowing me to read this beautifully written novel of love and loss. A young mother dies suddenly, shockingly while fixing dinner for her family (*No spoiler, it’s the opening paragraph of the book Plus it’s implied in the title) After Annie tells the story of her husband, her children and her best friend as they stumble through the foggy year that follows and learn to face the overwhelming challenge of living without her. The dialogue rings true as the characters deal with the emotions and difficulties of losing someone who touched so many lives and who was so loved. By the end of the novel you feel like you knew her too and understand how it’s the little day to day things - a family dinner, doing your best at work each day, conversations with friends- that make a life well lived. I have read and enjoyed Anna Quinlan’s writing since she was a syndicated columnist in the 80’s and always found her writing to be so relatable.
Again, many thanks to NetGalley and Random Publishing for allowing me to read After Annie prior to it’s release next year.
I have also posted my 5 star review in Goodreads.

After Annie is about the family and friends who remain after Annie, a young mother with four children, collapses and dies from an aneurysm. The novel, which has little dialogue, shares the thought of Ali, Annie's oldest daughter; Annie's best friend, Annemarie; and Annie's husband, Bill. Each character has its own personality. Ali becomes the caretaker as her father Bill struggles to raise four children and manage his own plumbing business. Annemarie has her own crutch through pills and sex. Each reaction is told though Anna Quidlen's usual thoughtful story telling. After Annie is a sad, but at times humorous look a grief. There is also a great mother-in-law character who is negative and demanding which adds to the humor of the story.

I have read and loved every book by Anna Quindlen. She manages to capture the human condition so perfectly and she always makes the ordinary feel extraordinary. This one is about a year in the life of the husband, best friend and four children of a woman who dies suddenly before she even turns forty. It is told from three points of view, the oldest daughter Ali (13), the husband Bill and the best friend AnneMarie. Ali is forced to grow up fast when her mother passes and so does Bill it seems.

This story was so beautiful in its simplicity. It’s really about what happens when the family (some blood, some not) loses the one that was holding them together. It’s about losing someone you love and trying to heal from that, it’s about the circle of life and the messy things that happen in between. There are some very heavy topics in this one, sexual abuse, addiction and of course death.

Nothing really exciting happens but I honestly couldn’t put the book down and read it in a couple of sittings. It was so poignant, heartfelt and emotional so have some tissues ready. The characters are so real and raw, I really cared what happened to them and was cheering them on. I really felt like I got to know Annie through her loved ones and their stories. This book made me feel so blessed and made me want to reach out to my loved ones. It’s amazing how fast your circumstances can change, in this family it happened in an instant.

What I took away from this one was that it just goes to show that the people we care about and who love us back don’t need big dramatic declarations, we all just need to be there and show up when it matters to make a difference in each other lives. All. The. Stars.

When Annie dies, her husband, children and best friend have to figure out how to live in a world without Annie in it. It's heartbreaking, and messy, and complicated, and honest, and hard. But life just keeps going on, and these characters make mistakes in their selfish grief before finding ways to heal individually and together. It's a beautifully written book. Anyone who has experienced deep grief will be able to relate to this story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Anna Quinldlen’s family drama, After Annie, grabs the reader right away and never let us go. Her characters feel authentic as does the dialogue. The story is about a family’s struggle after their mom dies suddenly and the impact it has on the father, their four children, and Annie’s best friend. Her death leaves a huge hole in the lives of those she loved and cared for. The book covers the year after her death; it's a tear-jerker of a story as we see how grief and loss impacts each character differently.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance reader’s copy.

I love Anna Quindlen! I've read many of her books and have found her to be a master of character development. This book is no different. When Annie falls to the kitchen floor after complaining of a headache, and then dies from an aneurism, her husband and children and best friend are left to pick up the pieces. Told over the course of a year, this is a deep look at grief.

This was sometimes a tough book to read. My brother passed away recently, and although the death of a spouse and/or parent is different, the emotions surrounding a sudden death are similar. Annie's husband is clearly in a fog and does not know what to do. Annie's teen daughter is struggling with dealing with adolescence and her belief that she must step into a motherly role for her younger siblings. Annie's best friend is just plain lost and unsure how she now fits into Annie's family. I cried through most of this book, but ultimately it's a wonderful look at grief, love, and resilience.

NOTE -- there is a sub-plot about one of Ali's (the daughter) school friends and the abuse she is trying to hide. At first, I really didn't understand why this was even part of the story, but by the ending the connections became clear. This is a book that deals with deep emotions that could be too much for some readers.