I really wanted to like this book :( The premise sounded so promising—Magda, a therapist with her own quirks and routines, dealing with the loss of her best friend Sara, and then embarking on a cross-country road trip with Sara’s urn. It had all the makings of a touching and profound journey of self-discovery and healing.

But I just couldn’t get into it. I managed to get through about 15% of the book before I had to put it down. Unfortunately, I found myself feeling really bored. The pacing felt slow, and I struggled to keep the characters straight. Despite the intriguing setup, the story didn’t grab me the way I hoped it would.

It’s always disappointing to not finish a book, especially one that you have high hopes for. I was particularly interested in the exploration of Magda’s sexuality and identity, and how she would navigate those questions later in life. But the writing just didn’t engage me, and I found my attention wandering.

Maybe it’s just me, and perhaps others will find the story more compelling. But for now, it just didn’t resonate with me the way I wanted it to.

Magda is a psychiatrist who has the difficult problem of having to analyze herself while on a roadtrip with her recently deceased best friend. Sara planned the trip years ago for their 70th birthdays but now it is Magda who must grieve the loss of Sara, of their friendship and lost years in general. Driving cross country with your friend's ashes riding shotgun isn't everyone's idea of a fun time but Magda feels like she owes it to Sara to do this trip. Skirting across country she does meet some interesting people who set off some sparks and comes away with a better understanding of Sara and herself through Sara's old letters and many one way conversations with the urn and defunct text messages. This is a thoughtful jaunt not completely without incidents but it does beg the reader to let go of regret, take a leap of faith and grab those second chances for love that may come along the way. A solid roadtrip readalike would be GRACELAND by Nancy Crochiere. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator doesn't get any better than Cynthia Nixon. My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed this exploration of unrequited love, friendship and grief. Magda was a great protagonist, I loved the perspective of a woman at seventy and I was hoping that she would find the peace and then acceptance she desereved.

Content Warnings: Death of and Grieving Loss of Loved One; Car Accident; Aging Related Existentialism

This book has an ambitious scope, but I think it succeeds because it keeps the titular character, Magda Eklund, as the firm focus of its narrative. Magda is a therapist whose best friend (and long unrequited love), Sara, dies before Magda’s 70th birthday. Magda takes Sara’s ashes on a road trip that had been planned for the 70th birthday, which makes up the bulk of the novel.

Magda may not be intentionally neurodivergent but is certainly coded in her need for strict routines and difficulty with emotional regulation. On her journey, readers learn about her relationship with Sara, her upbringing, and even the start of a new romance, the first ever since her friendship with Sara began. The book can be heavy, at times, as Magda processes her grief and her future as an aged woman, but humor and growth provide the needed balance to keep the book from being morose.

Based on the title and description of the book, I thought this would be a quick, easy, one-afternoon read. Boy was I wrong--this is a lovely story about the different forms that love can take, and what happens when you unstick yourself in your life. I really relished the time I spent with this book, and I'd love to see more of Magda Eklund.

I fell in love with this book from the first pages.the death of Magdas best friend Sara as she is turning seventy immediately touched me.This is a special story that I will be recommending.#netgalley #ecco

Death of best friend brings a lighthearted coming of age story with introspection and depth although it took a while to get started and dragged a bit. It didn’t move me nor did I feel invested. It was a struggle to finish the book, it just didn’t compel me. I prefer not to post a negative review so there are no links to Goodreads or Literary Society.

An accidental love story with nuanced characters you’re bound to adore. Mona is the best kind of therapist—wise and deeply human—but is she honest with herself?

This book is remarkably funny as it asks you the most pressing of questions:: are we brave enough to fully become ourselves?

Was surprised that I really loved this book. It started off light hearted but as i read the story marinated and got richer. It was the perpetual surprises that followed the unexpected passing of Magda’s very dear friend Sara.
Magda turned 70 without her best friend Sara to help her celebrate. She goes on a road trip with Sara plus urn because it is what Sara would have wanted. This provides fodder for many interesting sub stories as well as an opportunity for Magda to examine their 30 year relationship. She realizes she has reconfigured their relationship into what she wanted it to be. She wonders how much of her life has been built around wanting someone else. Can she choose to free herself?
While done in a very lighthearted manner I fell in love with Theo and Book and Hedda. Thanks NetGalley for such a good read!