Status
Available
Collection
Publication
GERALD DUCKWORTH & CO LTD (2010)
Description
When his daughter, Amy, collapses and dies from an asymptomatic heart condition, Rosenblatt and his wife leave their home on Long Island to move in with their son-in-law and their three young grandchildren. He peels back the layers on this most personal of losses to create a testament to familial love.
User reviews
LibraryThing member BookshelfMonstrosity
I can probably guess what some of you are thinking: Are you kidding me? Not another tragi-memoir. Never fear, fellow readers. Rosenblatt does not stoop to histrionics here. This memoir is wonderful. I am not a fan of overly sentimental writing, especially in the memoir genre which can sometimes be
By the end of this slim narrative I felt as if I had also moved in with Rosenblatt's newly widowed son-in-law, Harris, and their three children- Jessica, Sammy, and James. Rosenblatt is tender in his writing, and although I initially felt his style to be too choppy, I soon fell into the rhythm of his writing and finished the book in one sitting. I was sad when it was over; I wanted to know more about their lives. Highly recommended.
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whiny and self-aggrandizing. Making Toast is a refreshing read. Rosenblatt's prose is simple and not affected at all. As a result, the spare writing makes the book all the more stunning.By the end of this slim narrative I felt as if I had also moved in with Rosenblatt's newly widowed son-in-law, Harris, and their three children- Jessica, Sammy, and James. Rosenblatt is tender in his writing, and although I initially felt his style to be too choppy, I soon fell into the rhythm of his writing and finished the book in one sitting. I was sad when it was over; I wanted to know more about their lives. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member jules72653
Tiny little gem of a book that packs an emotional punch. My only complaint was the name dropping by the author of all the folks that helped or sent condolences after the death of his daughter. I get it, you are "somebody" who knows a lot of other "somebodies." Get over yourself.
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
I loved the excerpt I read in a magazine, and was excited to discover Rosenblatt's book in my library. I've always loved his writing, but the whole book was a disappointment. It's a very poignant story - Rosenblatt and his wife moving in with their son in law after his wife, their daughter, dies,
I think something like this is too hard to write about until it's long in the past, if ever.
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to help care for the grandchildren. And I feel bad commenting on the writing, when what they did was so magnificent, but it fell flat for me. I think something like this is too hard to write about until it's long in the past, if ever.
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LibraryThing member stephaniechase
Very touching -- it would be a perfect little memoir of love, loss, and family if it weren't for the name dropping.
LibraryThing member knitwit2
It was a very sad thing that happened to this family. But in reading the book it felt like I was just listening to a stream of consciousness. There seemed to be little continuity from one section to the next. Also the name dropping got old.
LibraryThing member tcrutch
I think his fans like this out of sympathy...very boring & elitist.
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
This is a spare, even elegant memoir about the aftermath of tragedy. The author's daughter, Amy, died on her treadmill from a rare congenital heart problem leaving behind her grieving children. Mr. Rosenblatt and his wife immediately moved in with their son-in-law and the three children and started
All death has its own flavor, its own level of tragedy - the sudden death of a loved one is hard because there is no preparation - there is simply before and after. In an instant you cross the line between what was and what is now and I'm not sure you ever fully recover. Perhaps the hardest part is the grieving you do for the person you might've been - its maddening, angering, terrifying, and difficult.
Mr. Rosenblatt writes well of this and there are moments in this book when I wiped away tears. This could have been either so painful it couldn't be borne or so trite and cliched it couldn't be read, but it is neither. It is sharp, clear and focused with loving portraits of a family, particularly the three children.
I have some discomfort with this book, some choices that lessened its impact for me. The author tends to name drop famous people who are bereft by the loss of his daughter and, while I understand that these are family friends, it also feels out of place in the larger context of memoir. I was also troubled by the basic non-portrayal of their Fillipino nanny, who extended her hours to help the family and who reminds them of how many more resources they have than most. It strikes me odd that her presence is peripheral and unimportant, although the author notes how much the children love her.
Lastly, I heard an interview with the author on NPR where the interviewer basically fawned over him and his book, yet neither he nor the interviewer acknowledged his long history with PBS. I was very uncomfortable with that once I read the book and it heightened some of the problems in the book that prevent its beautiful writing from soaring to its potential height.
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the process of figuring out life after Amy.All death has its own flavor, its own level of tragedy - the sudden death of a loved one is hard because there is no preparation - there is simply before and after. In an instant you cross the line between what was and what is now and I'm not sure you ever fully recover. Perhaps the hardest part is the grieving you do for the person you might've been - its maddening, angering, terrifying, and difficult.
Mr. Rosenblatt writes well of this and there are moments in this book when I wiped away tears. This could have been either so painful it couldn't be borne or so trite and cliched it couldn't be read, but it is neither. It is sharp, clear and focused with loving portraits of a family, particularly the three children.
I have some discomfort with this book, some choices that lessened its impact for me. The author tends to name drop famous people who are bereft by the loss of his daughter and, while I understand that these are family friends, it also feels out of place in the larger context of memoir. I was also troubled by the basic non-portrayal of their Fillipino nanny, who extended her hours to help the family and who reminds them of how many more resources they have than most. It strikes me odd that her presence is peripheral and unimportant, although the author notes how much the children love her.
Lastly, I heard an interview with the author on NPR where the interviewer basically fawned over him and his book, yet neither he nor the interviewer acknowledged his long history with PBS. I was very uncomfortable with that once I read the book and it heightened some of the problems in the book that prevent its beautiful writing from soaring to its potential height.
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LibraryThing member JGoto
Roger Rosenblatt’s Making Toast is a memoir by a man whose adult daughter, Amy, dies suddenly, prompting him and his wife to move in with their son-in-law to help raise their three small children. It is written in a series of simple, understated vignettes, which give snapshots of Rosenblatt’s
If I have any complaints about this book (besides the frequent name dropping, which is unnecessary and detracts from the story), it is the fact that all of the characters, family members and friends alike, are just too good. If there are really such selfless people in the world, people who don’t have just a little bit of jealousy, resentment, or just plain waking up in a bad mood, I haven’t met them. The casual wealth of the family is another aspect of the book that is difficult for me to relate to. Yet, overall, the vignettes flow naturally, and the gentle observations of the children ring true.
“One evening, Sammy rushes into the room naked from head to toe. ‘Boppo!’ he says, having just seen 101 Dalmations. ‘The dalmation puppies were saved!’ I ask, ‘Sammy, where are your clothes?’ He says, ‘The puppies were going to be skinned for coats!’ He glances at Amy’s picture. ‘I miss Mommy,’ he says. ‘Me, too,’ I say.”
I enjoyed reading this memoir.
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memories of his daughter and his observations of his children and grandchildren in the wake of Amy’s death. Rather than a lament of grief, this memoir is more an affirmation of the life that continues on despite tragedy.If I have any complaints about this book (besides the frequent name dropping, which is unnecessary and detracts from the story), it is the fact that all of the characters, family members and friends alike, are just too good. If there are really such selfless people in the world, people who don’t have just a little bit of jealousy, resentment, or just plain waking up in a bad mood, I haven’t met them. The casual wealth of the family is another aspect of the book that is difficult for me to relate to. Yet, overall, the vignettes flow naturally, and the gentle observations of the children ring true.
“One evening, Sammy rushes into the room naked from head to toe. ‘Boppo!’ he says, having just seen 101 Dalmations. ‘The dalmation puppies were saved!’ I ask, ‘Sammy, where are your clothes?’ He says, ‘The puppies were going to be skinned for coats!’ He glances at Amy’s picture. ‘I miss Mommy,’ he says. ‘Me, too,’ I say.”
I enjoyed reading this memoir.
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LibraryThing member NovelBookworm
Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt is dedicated to his daughter Amy. When Amy suddenly dies, she leaves a busy medical practice, a loving husband, three small children, friends, siblings and parents. Her sudden death illustrates for us all the fragility of life and is written as a joyful reminder of
I really enjoyed reading about the interaction between the children and their grandparents. There was a lot of sadness, but it was often interspersed with humor that only children can guarantee. So…that being said, how terrible of a person am I that I didn’t much like the book? Yep…I’m a terrible person. I sympathized with the family, I felt a lot of empathy for the pain and difficult situation they found themselves in, and yet I found the book really awkward to read. It seemed to contain too many names, and occasionally I would have to go back to figure out who was being mentioned. I thought the way it was written, while mostly chronological, did go back and forth a bit too much and I was confused by the timelines. And to me, it read much more like a personal journal of a grieving father. I felt like I was eavesdropping on aspects of a family that were frankly none of my business. But if it was going to be published as a memoir, I thought it could use some more editing.
Okay…that took me a good three weeks to get the nerve to write. (Talk about kicking someone when they’re down…I’d probably be out beating up second graders for their lunch money soon…..)
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what love can accomplish.I really enjoyed reading about the interaction between the children and their grandparents. There was a lot of sadness, but it was often interspersed with humor that only children can guarantee. So…that being said, how terrible of a person am I that I didn’t much like the book? Yep…I’m a terrible person. I sympathized with the family, I felt a lot of empathy for the pain and difficult situation they found themselves in, and yet I found the book really awkward to read. It seemed to contain too many names, and occasionally I would have to go back to figure out who was being mentioned. I thought the way it was written, while mostly chronological, did go back and forth a bit too much and I was confused by the timelines. And to me, it read much more like a personal journal of a grieving father. I felt like I was eavesdropping on aspects of a family that were frankly none of my business. But if it was going to be published as a memoir, I thought it could use some more editing.
Okay…that took me a good three weeks to get the nerve to write. (Talk about kicking someone when they’re down…I’d probably be out beating up second graders for their lunch money soon…..)
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LibraryThing member ThorneStaff
An unexpected and tragic death, a family grieving, the everyday life that goes on after disaster strikes - "Making Toast" has the potential to help those who face similar heartache; tragically, the author has no relationship with a loving God who weeps with the brokenhearted, which might have made
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his move through grieving easier, or less life-long, but his real honest raw emotions are muted and understated - poignant even. Show Less
LibraryThing member Suzieqkc
Life is short and none of us knows if we will even have tomorrow let alone next year. That was certainly true for Amy Rosenblatt Solomon, pediatrician, wife, mother of three young children. Her unexpected death made it impossible for her husband Harris to continue his career as a hand surgeon and
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father to their three children. Consequently, he enlisted the help of Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt, Amy's parents and his in-laws. They moved into the Solomon home in Bethesda,MD, and picked up the slack. Known as Boppo, Roger Rosenblatt, the granddad and nationally known author, became adept at 'making toast' for breakfast in whatever style each child wanted. His wife, Ginny, a former kindergarten teacher, took on her daughter's role as caretaker for the children, homework helper, cook, etc. Between the two of them, Roger and Ginny helped the family to get through the first year without Amy. In turn, the children and Harris helped them work through their grief. The book is such a heartbreaker in parts, but is also such a wonderful picture of how a family can come together and heal. Rosenblatt is very honest about his feelings. The book was so good that I was sorry when I got to the last page. Show Less
LibraryThing member mochap
spare, contained, moving and beautiful memoir of a grandfather who, together with the grandmother, move in with their son-in-law and 3 young children after their mother dies suddenly.
LibraryThing member ellenr
Rosenblatt writes on a very personal level about the sudden death of his adult daughter and the aftermath. He and his wife join his son-in-law's household to help raise the three young children. Interspersed with the children's reactions and daily interactions are memories of his daughter's youth
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and their family. Show Less
LibraryThing member skstiles612
Roger Rosenblatt lost his daughter Amy and a very early age. She left behind a husband and three children. The youngest only a year old. Roger and his wife pulled up stakes and moved in with their son-in-law to help him with the children. together they all work together to get through this tough
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time. This memoir rang vvery true for me. Roger talks openly and honestly about dealing with grief and how it affects all involved. Simple things such as realizing they were having an off day and took it out on one of the young kids who was a little rambunctious was just one example. He went on to show that all was forgiven because of the love that was being fostered. His grandkids always knew that they were loved. He showed that no matter what your job or station in life we all feel and think and react the same when faced with death. I am sure this was written as a tool in his healing process, yet has the ability to help others heal. A very open and honest book, one I will gladly pass on to friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member Copperskye
Roger Rosenblatt writes a tender, touching memoir chronicling his family’s life after the sudden death of his daughter. He and his wife move in with their son-in-law to help with their three young grandchildren and tells their story in a series of thoughtful, sometimes abrupt, sometimes
I had read the original essay which was published in The New Yorker a couple of years ago. This book expands on that story. HarperCollins/Ecco kindly provided the ARC.
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heartbreaking vignettes. It’s a loving tribute to his daughter. Highly recommended.I had read the original essay which was published in The New Yorker a couple of years ago. This book expands on that story. HarperCollins/Ecco kindly provided the ARC.
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LibraryThing member joemmama
Roger Rosenblatt has written a love story to his daughter, his wife, his grandchildren, is in-laws, and his friends. Snippets of a life, without its light, make for a beautiful story of love and loss.
When their daughter Amy dies suddenly, leaving her children and her stoic husband, Roger and his
I really liked this book, and the people in it. I want to know how it all turns out. I wish them only the best!
I read this on my e-reader while traveling and recovering, and I got it from the library. I love this thing!
When their daughter Amy dies suddenly, leaving her children and her stoic husband, Roger and his
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wife Ginny move in to help. Roger feels his only job is to make toast. A skillful writer, he makes the everyday magical as they navigate a new reality, one without Amy. Accepting the unacceptable is their new life.I really liked this book, and the people in it. I want to know how it all turns out. I wish them only the best!
I read this on my e-reader while traveling and recovering, and I got it from the library. I love this thing!
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LibraryThing member jocraddock
A moving, forthright account of a family dealing with the sudden death of their daughter, wife, mother. How we respond, how we go on living, and loving, in a tender, real story. Rosenblatt has chronicled how his life changed with the death of his daughter, a young and vibrant wife, mother and
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doctor, and he and his own wife stepped in to provide -- and receive -- some stability during a painful time. Show Less
LibraryThing member JackieBlem
This is about a family grieving and a family growing. They lost a young and vital member, Amy, who was a doctor, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a very good friend. There was no preparing for this death--she dropped dead on the basement treadmill from an extremely rare heart defect. This
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book is made up of little moments in time, much like journal entries, as they family pulled together in the initial shock, then as Roger and his wife Ginny move in to help their son-in-law take care of the kids. It's about everyday things like making toast, and things we don't ever want to have to face, like taking our grandkids to the cemetery to put flowers on their mother's grave. It's how a family grew together when pain was tearing each of them apart. It is profound in its quiet emotion and dignity and very, very much worth the reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Donura1
Although profoundly sad, as would any book about the loss of a child, there is hope and recovery in this memoir as well. Roger Rosenblatt, writer and producer, has captured a range of emotions in his story of the sudden and unexpected death of his 38 yr old daughter, Amy.
I lost my only son, and I
However, as much as this book is about loss, it is also about how life must go on for those left behind and what that looks like on a daily basis. He views how each of the family members handles their loss differently and how each tries to pick up parts of Amy for the sake of each other and her three small children. It is comforting to read through the daily routines, the kind gestures, the periods of profound sadness, and come away with the sense that time will lessen the grief even if it does not make it go away.
Grandparenting takes on a whole new dimension for Roger and his wife, Ginny, or maybe I should just say parenting because they really step up to the plate for their son in law and move in to take care of Amy’s three very young children. It becomes a family affair to envelop, love, shelter, and nurture Jessie, Sammy and Bubbies.
Thank you Roger, for sharing such a personal and deeply sad part of your life and helping all of your readers realize that those of us who are left have to get up every day and make the toast or anything else that will help us move on. It is an affirmation that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.
I lost my only son, and I
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know I felt like the friend of his that he describes in the book that was more than just a little angry at God. I still feel like him sometimes.However, as much as this book is about loss, it is also about how life must go on for those left behind and what that looks like on a daily basis. He views how each of the family members handles their loss differently and how each tries to pick up parts of Amy for the sake of each other and her three small children. It is comforting to read through the daily routines, the kind gestures, the periods of profound sadness, and come away with the sense that time will lessen the grief even if it does not make it go away.
Grandparenting takes on a whole new dimension for Roger and his wife, Ginny, or maybe I should just say parenting because they really step up to the plate for their son in law and move in to take care of Amy’s three very young children. It becomes a family affair to envelop, love, shelter, and nurture Jessie, Sammy and Bubbies.
Thank you Roger, for sharing such a personal and deeply sad part of your life and helping all of your readers realize that those of us who are left have to get up every day and make the toast or anything else that will help us move on. It is an affirmation that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.
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LibraryThing member bookaholicmom
This book was sad but not depressingly sad. When their daughter Amy dies unexpectedly, Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt move in with their son in law to help raise their three grandchildren, Jessica, Sammy and James (aka Bubbies). You can tell it is both painful and comforting at the same time for them
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to take over Amy's role as parent. There are many touching moments in this book such as when Sammy lies on the floor in the same position they found his mother in. I think the grandchildren really help Roger and Ginny through the grief of losing their daughter. Roger tells little tales of Amy's life, intertwined with stories of dealing with grief and stories of their new daily life with their grandchildren. This book tells the story of how one can be very grief-stricken but still continue on. I found myself both feeling their pain and laughing at the antics of the children. It is a very honest memoir. Probably one of the most honest I have ever read. This was a quick read and I found it very touching and beautifully done. Show Less
LibraryThing member tibobi
The Short of It:
Making Toast, although touching at times, lacks the emotional punch that you’d expect from a memoir.
The Rest of It:
As a reader, we are given brief snippets of information about the family. What the children like for breakfast, what they like to wear…their favorite color, you get
I’ll explain. This was obviously a very painful loss for the entire family, but I didn’t really feel that the author wanted me to know how truly painful it was. I felt as if he was sharing this information with me but with filters in place. As if he didn’t want me to know how he truly felt. There are moments where he mentions his anger but I never felt his anger coming off the page.
Also, it would have helped to know a bit more about Amy, his daughter. He touches on memories of her childhood, and a bit about her work but it wasn’t enough for me to really get a feel for her, and I really did want to get a feel for her as a person.
The significance of the title is very touching. Rosenblatt finds comfort in making toast for his grandchildren. Such a simple act. One child likes it buttered, another likes it with cinnamon, etc. I was moved when I read this part because Rosenblatt went into why it was special for him.
Rosenblatt’s story covers a year. Perhaps it would have been better to focus on the first six months as I’m sure there was a lot of adjustment taking place during that time. I would’ve liked to have heard more about Amy’s relationship with her dad. The bond between a father and a daughter is usually quite strong.
Overall, it’s a touching story but I never really got to know anyone within it, so it sort of left me with an “unfinished” feeling. I can only imagine how horrible it would be to lose your daughter so suddenly.
The back of the book states that Making Toast was originally an essay that was published in The New Yorker back in 2008. I may look for that essay to see how it differs from the book.
Source: This ARC was sent to me by HarperCollins/Ecco.
Making Toast, although touching at times, lacks the emotional punch that you’d expect from a memoir.
The Rest of It:
As a reader, we are given brief snippets of information about the family. What the children like for breakfast, what they like to wear…their favorite color, you get
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the idea. This information is given to us in a very friendly, casual way. My problem with this is that it was so casual in the telling that I didn’t feel as if the author was really letting me into his life.I’ll explain. This was obviously a very painful loss for the entire family, but I didn’t really feel that the author wanted me to know how truly painful it was. I felt as if he was sharing this information with me but with filters in place. As if he didn’t want me to know how he truly felt. There are moments where he mentions his anger but I never felt his anger coming off the page.
Also, it would have helped to know a bit more about Amy, his daughter. He touches on memories of her childhood, and a bit about her work but it wasn’t enough for me to really get a feel for her, and I really did want to get a feel for her as a person.
The significance of the title is very touching. Rosenblatt finds comfort in making toast for his grandchildren. Such a simple act. One child likes it buttered, another likes it with cinnamon, etc. I was moved when I read this part because Rosenblatt went into why it was special for him.
Rosenblatt’s story covers a year. Perhaps it would have been better to focus on the first six months as I’m sure there was a lot of adjustment taking place during that time. I would’ve liked to have heard more about Amy’s relationship with her dad. The bond between a father and a daughter is usually quite strong.
Overall, it’s a touching story but I never really got to know anyone within it, so it sort of left me with an “unfinished” feeling. I can only imagine how horrible it would be to lose your daughter so suddenly.
The back of the book states that Making Toast was originally an essay that was published in The New Yorker back in 2008. I may look for that essay to see how it differs from the book.
Source: This ARC was sent to me by HarperCollins/Ecco.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Roger Rosenblatt’s 38 year old daughter Amy – a pediatrician, wife and mother of three very young children – had a heart defect which went undiagnosed until it took her life, suddenly and unexpectedly, just weeks before Christmas in 2007. Rosenblatt and his wife Ginny responded in the only
Written in a series of vignettes rather than a straight forward narration, the book is non-linear in nature. At first, I didn’t like this scattershot approach which seemed to keep emotion slightly distant. It felt disconnected to me. But, as I continued to read, the style began to make sense. For what is grief but memories of the brief slices of a life lived? What is recovery if not the simple act of getting up each day and sharing another person’s life? How do we see hope for the future except through the eyes of our children or grandchildren? For Rosenblatt, who clung to his anger against God and the fact that his only daughter had died from something which affects ‘less than two thousandths of one percent of the population,’ his one consolation was that he was doing what Amy would have him do – caring for her family.
Making Toast is heartbreaking, and yet its sadness is fleeting. I found myself laughing at the simple, every day moments which Rosenblatt shares. I found myself marveling at the depth of love that he and his wife had for not only their grandchildren, but Amy’s husband Harris. The human spirit is nothing but resilient in the face of tragedy – and yet it is still amazing to see it in practice.
Rosenblatt shares his grief without telling us outright that he is grieving. Time after time he declines to listen to Amy’s voice on a telephone answering machine, so when her recorded words show up in the narration toward the end of the book, we feel Rosenblatt’s pain. This is Rosenblatt’s style – to show us moments which transcend words.
Making Toast is about patience, love, faith (and the lack of it), grief, and the slow, torturous process of recovery. But perhaps it is mostly about what it means to be a family. Rosenblatt’s simple prose and his matter-of-fact presentation is surprisingly moving in the context of the story. It is a beautiful tribute to a daughter.
Highly recommended.
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way they knew how – they packed up their things and rushed to Maryland to help their son-in-law Harris raise their grandchildren. Making Toast is Rosenblatt’s memoir of the weeks and months following Amy’s death as the family struggles to make sense of their loss while moving steadily through the daily events of a life which continues without her.Written in a series of vignettes rather than a straight forward narration, the book is non-linear in nature. At first, I didn’t like this scattershot approach which seemed to keep emotion slightly distant. It felt disconnected to me. But, as I continued to read, the style began to make sense. For what is grief but memories of the brief slices of a life lived? What is recovery if not the simple act of getting up each day and sharing another person’s life? How do we see hope for the future except through the eyes of our children or grandchildren? For Rosenblatt, who clung to his anger against God and the fact that his only daughter had died from something which affects ‘less than two thousandths of one percent of the population,’ his one consolation was that he was doing what Amy would have him do – caring for her family.
Making Toast is heartbreaking, and yet its sadness is fleeting. I found myself laughing at the simple, every day moments which Rosenblatt shares. I found myself marveling at the depth of love that he and his wife had for not only their grandchildren, but Amy’s husband Harris. The human spirit is nothing but resilient in the face of tragedy – and yet it is still amazing to see it in practice.
Rosenblatt shares his grief without telling us outright that he is grieving. Time after time he declines to listen to Amy’s voice on a telephone answering machine, so when her recorded words show up in the narration toward the end of the book, we feel Rosenblatt’s pain. This is Rosenblatt’s style – to show us moments which transcend words.
Making Toast is about patience, love, faith (and the lack of it), grief, and the slow, torturous process of recovery. But perhaps it is mostly about what it means to be a family. Rosenblatt’s simple prose and his matter-of-fact presentation is surprisingly moving in the context of the story. It is a beautiful tribute to a daughter.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Bookish59
A personal roadmap to deal with the horrendous loss of a daughter, and to continue to not only function but to step in and help raise her 3 young children. Roger and Ginny Rosenblatt were thrown back into the roles of parents when Amy, their daughter, a doctor, wife and mother suddenly died
This strong family come together, despite their grief and anger, allowing each other time to remember and grieve while also living a very full and busy life. Roger, Ginny and Harris take the children to school, after-school activities, friends' homes, birthday parties, and vacations. The children also receive counseling. Their father and grandparents meet with the counselor to get status reports on the kids, and to discuss any of their own concerns.
Roger is surprised that many of those friends who comforted him lost children of their own.
Rosenblatt has written a wonderful tribute to his daughter, and how time, and love of family helped him work through his grief and anger.
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probably due to a heart anomaly. While the family mourns Amy, with the help of friends they heal by remembering her life with love. Though Roger and Ginny were involved in Amy's life, they lived hours away in Long Island and came for visits. After her death, they learn just how much she meant to her friends and patients. This strong family come together, despite their grief and anger, allowing each other time to remember and grieve while also living a very full and busy life. Roger, Ginny and Harris take the children to school, after-school activities, friends' homes, birthday parties, and vacations. The children also receive counseling. Their father and grandparents meet with the counselor to get status reports on the kids, and to discuss any of their own concerns.
Roger is surprised that many of those friends who comforted him lost children of their own.
Rosenblatt has written a wonderful tribute to his daughter, and how time, and love of family helped him work through his grief and anger.
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LibraryThing member nmele
A beautifully crafted memoir of grief and its impact on the author's family.
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
I have already written a letter to the author of MAKING TOAST, attempting to tell him what a beautiful book it is and how much it meant to me. I'm not sure I succeeded. But it is a brave book, wonderfully written, about family tragedy, about loss and grief. It's also very much about carrying on in
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the face of these things, about a family coming closer together, about sacrifices and major life changes made, all in the hopes of filling sudden empty places in a young family's life. Roger Rosenblatt is a writer who has mastered his craft, but he is also a still angry and grieving father and grandfather. MAKING TOAST is his testament to a life cut short - his daughter's - and a record of how he, his wife and his sons stepped in to help with the raising of his young grandchildren. This is a ten-star read that you will not soon forget. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010
ISBN
071563948X / 9780715639481