𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥.) Anna Quindlen is a gifted, prolific American writer whose books often touch your soul. Her latest, 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗘, is no exception. The book opens with its tragic event. While making dinner on an ordinary evening, 37-year old Annie collapses in her kitchen and dies from a brain aneurysm shortly after. That’s not the story though, it’s the catalyst for what happens to those in her world in the year after Annie is gone. ⁣⁣⁣
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Annie leaves behind many people who love her, but most of all her husband, four children, and her lifelong best friend. This is a beautiful story of an irreplaceable woman, intense grief and the journey towards learning how to live a life without her. ⁣⁣⁣
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Even with all that, 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘦 was not the intensely emotional read I had expected it to be. Grief lived at its core, so of course there was a depressing quality to it, but not overwhelmingly so. Quindlen’s deft writing took her characters down a dark road and punctuated their stories with truly touching moments. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25⁣⁣⁣
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“None of the meditation sessions anticipated trying to quiet your mind, and in the quiet, hearing only the vast silence of eternal absence where your bestie forever had once been. Forever was so much shorter than she’d always thought.”⁣⁣⁣
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“They were all floating in some in-between where nothing seemed right. Waiting for the rest of life, whatever that was, a future that felt like a betrayal.”⁣⁣⁣
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“You know what really bothers me,” Ali said in the car, looking straight ahead through the windshield. “That my father can have another wife, but we can’t ever have another mother.”

*Young mom Annie's abrupt death leaves her four children, husband, and best friend reeling. Each of them must find a way back to themselves and back to each other without their key person in After Annie.*

In Anna Quindlen's newest novel After Annie, the abrupt death of the titular young mother--which occurs in the kitchen in front of the family just before dinner--leaves her four children, husband, and best friend reeling.

Annie was in her early 30s, and she hadn't even been close to finishing what she'd started. She had a job she excelled at, offering care and steadiness at the nursing home; she and her dear lifelong best friend Annemarie (two Annes!) had been through the upheaval and crises of young pregnancy, addiction, and following different paths and struggling to stick together; and she and her husband Bill were in the thick of young parenthood, with endless plans but little money or time to enact any of them yet.

Over the course of the next year, each of those who had been closest to her and who are left behind struggles and threatens to fall apart--both individually and also to collectively fall away from each other in a way that would have infuriated Annie.

The thing that saves each of them from bottomless grief and from giving in to their most desperate, despairing, hopeless impulses is Annie's frequent voice in their heads, reassuring them, loving them, sticking by them.

It was unsatisfying to see only glimpses of the pivotal figure of Annie--I found myself wanting more of these. She makes up the heart of the book and is the center of the wheel of characters rotating around her, yet little page time is spent with her directly because she dies so early in the novel.

We spend the most page time with Annie's oldest child and only daughter, Ali, as she navigates young adulthood; with widower Bill, who belatedly recognizes his parenting and household ineptitude and also falls into the arms of the local woman who was after him in high school; and with best friend Annemarie, who is professionally successful and married but has been deeply invested in Annie's family and home life since Annie and Bill married. Annemarie realizes how essential Annie had been to her own sense of self and how lost she feels without her friend's guidance.

The key characters make mistakes and stumble repeatedly before finding their way back to their new selves and their existence without Annie.

I read After Annie courtesy of NetGalley and Random House.

Annie Brown died of a brain aneurysm while fixing supper. Just like that she was gone... She left a grieving husband, four young children, and a bereft best friend. She was only thirty-seven.

"They were all floating in some in-between where nothing seemed real and nothing seemed right."

Annie was a joyful woman. Though not rich, she thought her life was exactly what she wanted. She was content. She loved her family and she enjoyed her work as a nursing aide at a nursing home. As a result everyone who knew her loved her right back... with the possible exception of her mother-in-law, who didn't know how to love.

Bill, her husband worked as a plumber. As he was handsome and not yet forty, the women of the town were eager to garner his attention. As for Bill, he kept Annie's phone plugged in and listened to her answering recording.

"The foreverness of it shocked him every single day."

Ali, the eldest of the children was only fourteen when her Mum died. With three younger brothers, she finds herself with way too much responsibility, and too much sorrow.

Ant, the eldest boy, is suddenly struggling at school. He is angry and inconsolable.

Annemarie, Annie's best friend, is totally bereft. Formerly addicted to prescription medications, she finds herself rudderless without Annie's unwavering support.
With all this grief, bereavement, loss, heartbreak, and sorrow, one would assume this novel was cheerless and melancholy, but somehow it was not. The characters were so realistic, their plight so understandable, that you find yourself just following them along in their search for a way to cope with life 'After Annie'.

The narrative takes place in the year following Annie's death. As the seasons change in Pennsylvania, we follow the Brown family through their struggles and coping mechanisms. This novel makes you pause and take the time to appreciate your own life and the people in it.

If you love moving, realistic fiction peopled with characters you can really care about, look no further. To say this is 'moving' is somewhat of an understatement though. This one made my 'ugly cry' with a resultant headache. Highly recommended!

It begins with an unimaginable loss. Annie, a 37-year old mother of four, collapses and dies in her kitchen one night. Her husband, four children and best friend Annemarie navigate their grief in different ways over the following year. The writing is beautiful; the storyline acutely sad but also so hopeful at the same time. Love is so present in this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Available now. Highly recommend.

This beautifully written novel follows Annie's husband, their 4 children and her best friend over the course of a year after her sudden death.
For all of these character, Annie was their anchor - the glue that kept everyone together. This character driven novel has very little action, yet the impact of Annie's life and death is developed on nearly every page. The characters were believable and the author brought them through the grief, and loss as well as the healing and hope that they each experienced over the year.
The saddest part of the novel (for me) was Ali (Alexandra) middle school teenager, who takes on the responsibility of caring for her 3 younger brothers. She has one close friend and discovers something terrible about the other girl, but no one to process the information with. This child had to grow up tooo fast as her father was completely overwhelmed with his job responsibilities (as a plumber, who was on call all the time), and the boys were too young to comprehend the totality of death and the void that their mother's passing left in their home and their lives. On top of the family's loss, Annemarie, who was Annie's best friend since childhood, felt the loss acutely as Annie was there to get her through drug detox, and whenever she waivered. Her marriage was crumbling and Annie, who had been her strength, was not there.
Eventually, over the course of the year, the family and Annemarie learned to live their lives without Annie, and the book was a story of hope and healing.
The only negative about the book was that the chapters were too long and run together. I would have preferred separate chapters that presented the individuals as they transitioned through the year.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Random House and the opinions expressed here are my own.

This was an emotional and tough read at times. It is a story of loss, family, and friendship. It made me think a lot of “what if’s” in my life. I enjoy books that make me think and appreciate what is important in my life. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a powerful story of loss and surviving a future without the person who held everything together. Annie Brown, a young mother of four, dies suddenly at the beginning of the book. She leaves behind her husband Bill, her best friend Annemarie and her four children. Ali is the child we get to know the best and the oldest who assumes responsibility to keep the family going. She is a young teen who uses the strengths that her mother passed on in order to draw on her own inner reserve to help her dad keep moving in life and her younger siblings to survive the devastating loss of the center of their lives. Annemarie is a well developed character who reverts to old bad habits to deal with her loss, even though she is committed to helping Annie’s family as much as she can. The story is sad but also uplifting as the family unites to support each other and to find a way to make it without Annie. The pace is just right for the tale being told, not too fast which I think would be disrespectful to the loss and not too slow either. The characters were relatable and likable, especially Ali. I enjoyed the book after looking forward to a new book by Quindlen because she always offers a breath of fresh air when the world seems broken all around you.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this as part of the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Where do I even begin with this review…

This is a book that is going to make you think a lot about those you love. It is going to make you think about death and what you would do if you lost someone that means the world to you.

This story made me think a lot about my mother and how much she means to me. It also made me think a lot about grief and how we all process and talk about it. It is such an individual process but there are things everyone that has lost someone they love has in common. That there is no rule book and it sucks.

This story was deeply thought provoking, in moments quite sad, and hopeful in others. It explores how death and grief impacts the family system and also friendships. It is a quick read but be prepared for the heaviness of a story like this.

I really loved this one and its simplicity. It is a slower moving story with strong character development and heavier topics explored. I think its a story everyone can relate to. One I think everyone would be better for reading

If you have ever had an immediate family member pass away, you will recognize both your family and your self in this book. Annie died unexpectedly, at home, while making dinner. All of her school-age students were present, as well as Bill, her husband. For me, the book hit very close to home and was reminiscent of my husband dying. Even though all of our children were adults living on their own, the similarities between my family and Annie's family were very apparent. Bill was lost--and didn't know that he needed to step up into Annie's place. The children acted out. The eldest daughter became "mom" and had no time to grieve. This could have been a very sad story as the first year of Annie's death is portrayed. Instead Quindlen suffused the story with a seed of hope with every day that passed, and the hope that I felt for the characters was very real to me. This is wonderful writing and I absolutely loved this book.
Five stars and many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC I was provided. This review is my own opinion.

I received an advanced copy of After Annie thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Anna Quindlen's latest book is not an easy read. The book starts off with the sudden death of Annie when she suffers an aneurysm while making dinner for her family. The story then proceeds through a year following her death as we watch all the people who loved her dealing with the sudden loss. Annie not only left behind a husband and four children under the age of 13 but a sister and her best friend AnnMarie. As we see each of these characters dealing with her death in their own way, we learn more about Annie. This is more a character study of the titular character than of those left grieving. This is a quiet gem of a novel.

I didn’t like or dislike this book. I just felt…indifferent. Maybe it’s just not for me, but I think a book based solely on the grief of family/friends after a death should have packed more of an emotional punch. I only really liked the character of Ali, but mostly just because I felt horrible for her. The writing is nice and I think the author did a decent job of describing feelings, but it was just too depressing in general. I know that’s the point, so I’m just going to say this wasn’t for me and give it a middle-of-the-road rating.

Annie Brown complains about a headache and collapses on her kitchen floor leaving behind her husband, four children and best friend to carry on life without her. As we all know, women pretty much hold families together. They are the beacon and guiding light in most homes. Her husband wallows in his own grief, leaving his 11 year old daughter to take over her mother's place in taking care of the siblings. Her best friend Annemarie falls back on a pill addiction that Annie had helped her clean herself up from before.

We follow the year after in their lives. Some parts heartbreaking. Some parts will make you angry. All the while, you hope they find that peace and acceptance that comes from time after such a massive loss.

Each character is written beautifully. You could feel their pain. You could see their light bulb moments. Ms. Quindlen is so good at writing the human experience in a way that we can all truly embrace and understand.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy for review.

Annie is the thirty-seven year old wife of Bill, mother of Ali, Ant, Benjy and Jamie and the best friend of Annemarie. No one expected that she would drop dead in the family kitchen one night while making dinner. No one knows how to go on without her. Bill is completely lost and doesn’t know which end is up. Ali takes on the overwhelming role of keeping the house and kids afloat. Ant is angry and acts out. The two little boys don’t understand what happened and Annemarie can’t take the pressure of losing Annie and makes some very poor choices. Annie was the glue that held them all together. As the days go by in the year following Annie’s death, each is grieving differently but, little by little they learn how to live again. Quindlen writes a beautiful and heartfelt novel of love, loss and grief in After Annie. A novel that tugs at the heartstrings and doesn’t let go. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Anna Quindlen masterfully weaves Annie's story with the lives of her survivors. With her sudden death, Annie remains a vibrant presence throughout the novel. Quindlen’s writing captures the complexities of human relationships with grace and insight. Whether exploring loss or celebrating love, she invites readers to quietly reflect on their own lives through her poignant narratives. Her characters are well-drawn, their emotions sharp and authentic.

This book touched me deeply as I lost my mother to cancer recently. I could not help but cry at some parts, as they reminded me of my own loss. However, I also felt that this book helped me process my grief in a healthy way. The novel's emotionally resonant voice captures the essence of loss while leaving room for hope. As Bill reflects at one point: "Maybe grief was like homesickness—something that wasn't just about a specific person but about losing that feeling that you were where you belonged."

AFTER ANNIE is a beautiful novel that celebrates love's ability to transcend time and triumph over adversity. It's an emotionally satisfying and absorbing story. As we witness Annie's loved ones grow stronger in her absence, we're reminded that even in loss, there is resilience—and perhaps even unexpected joy.

When Annie Brown dies suddenly of a brain aneurism, her family is left to pick up the pieces. This is a sad and emotional look at grief, following her family ta year after her death and the ways in which they try to move on and the pieces of Annie that are left behind. While I enjoyed this read, there is a character named Annie and one named Annemarie and this seemed unnecessarily confusing. Thank you to Random House and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

Does anyone write grief better than Anna Quindlen?

In her latest novel, After Annie, Annie Brown is a vibrant woman, running a busy household one moment, then dead.

Those who loved Annie – her husband, her four children, her best friend – quickly discover how hard life is without her. Bill Brown, her husband, can barely keep his head above water and relies on his oldest daughter to keep the family from sinking. Annemarie, the best friend, relapses into bad habits.

Does this sound like a depressing book? It's not. It's a real, unvarnished portrait of how people cope with grief. They make mistakes, they frustrate you, they take time to find their new normal. I was so taken in by the lives Annie touched, I read the book in one sitting.

After Annie is ultimately a moving novel that celebrates love in all its forms – because without love, there would be no grief, right?


*I received an early review copy of this book from NetGalley.

What an unexpectedly lovely, heartwarming, ultimately upbeat book!

And that’s not at all what you expect when Annie, beloved Mom of four young kids, drops dead on her kitchen floor from a brain aneurysm right before finishing dinner for the family.

Bill, her husband is devastated, Ali her only daughter and her oldest tries valiantly to hold herself and the other kids together, Ant her oldest son turns sullen and silent, Benji her youngest son assures everyone she’s coming home from the hospital though he’s repeatedly told otherwise, and her middle son starts wetting his bed. Annie’s best friend Anne Marie faces a relapse into opiod use without her best friend there to keep a watch, and Annie’s sister Kathy is sluggish and bereft.

But love and the sharing of memories about Annie has her emerging as the vibrant central character in a story that starts right as she dies. From an unexpected pregnancy to her sheer daily joy in marrying Bill and raising her kids, she takes what seems to her friend Anne-Marie as a hopelessly ordinary life into something transcendent. And the elderly residents whom she cared for in a nursing home share hilarious ad touching memories of all Annie did for them, and how much she shared about each of her kids.

Having suddenly lost my mom at age 13, about the same age as Ali, I could so relate to the story as well as appreciate the brilliance that Anna Quindlen, who lost her own mom young, brings to the grieving process. There are the lingering smells – from hand lotion to clothes, that powerfully bring back memories; the having to clear out personal belongings, the voicemail message still playing on Annie’s cell phone, and the weeping willow planted by the residents of the old age home in Annie’s honor. Add into the mix an old-soul new middle school counselor who brings warmth and compassion to Ali and Ant, and eventually even Bill.

Everyone ever so slowly finds their way back to happiness in a world post-Annie, sheltered in the continuing glow of her love for them all.

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

A real emotional and eye opener of a story. How do you survive the sudden death of a young wife and mother?

I felt deeply for the husband Bill Brown. I fell in love with with anll his kids annd loved ones. Each character became a person and Quindlen brought their struggles to life. It’s easy to relate to a lot of these characters and at the same time I found myself hoping I will never have to endure this situation. . The ending left me smiling with hope.

Thank you Random House and Net Galley for the ARC.

I really liked this book, but some of it was difficult to read - the father becomes a widower with 4 young children. The story was good, though, and the grief interpretations were accurate.

A couple of complaints - first, maybe the author did this on purpose, but sometimes it was confusing to have three main characters with similar names: Annie, Annemarie, and Ali. Also, different chapters were about different people, and it would’ve helped to have their names at the beginning of the section. Sometimes the storyline moved back-and-forth between past and present, and I had to think to keep it straight.

But it was a lovely story, and a big thank you goes to NetGalley for my ARC!

What a beautiful novel by Quindlen (is anyone surprised?). A touching novel of loss and trying to move on. Annie was the center of her family, and her sudden death rocks their world. Her husband, Bill, doesn't know what to do with 4 kids. Her oldest, Ali, suddenly has to take on a lot of responsibility. And her best friend, Annemarie, does not deal well at all. Told over the course of a year, these three characters grow and change. And a novel about death ends on a note of hope.

"When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood.

Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie gave to those who loved her is the power to love, and to go on without her."

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.