Single Again: A Guide for Women Starting Over

"Self-transformation after the death or divorce of a husband isn't an extraordinary event that happens only to special women," writes Victoria Jaycox in Single Again: A Guide for Women Starting Over. "There are simple, practical ways to make it happen." Cox interviewed 88 divorced and widowed women who had succeeded in making gratifying new lives for themselves, and she also sought the wisdom of professionals. The result is a guidebook for getting through the devastation of the loss of a husband, making order out of chaos, adapting, carving out an independent identify, and creating a new life. The style is personal and compassionate, with many snippets of other women's experiences, so the reader feels less alone in her grief and the obstacles she faces.

No one formula works for every divorced or widowed woman, any more than any two relationships are identical. The women who succeeded among Jaycox's interview sources, however, had "grit and bravery" in common, and reading about what worked for them is comforting, inspiring, and useful. Jaycox covers topics as emotional as grief, depression, and a search for self, and as practical as lawyers, managing money, and career planning. The book is full of helpful advice and resources. --Joan Price