How to Grieve Like a Victorian, Amy Carol Reeves (Review by Stephanie Rowitz)

Rating: 3.0/5

Dr. Lizzie Wells, professor of British literature and bestselling author, after suddenly losing her husband, Philip, decides to grieve for him the Victorian way, wearing a lock of his hair in a locket around her neck and carrying his ashes around in her purse. After a meltdown during class, Lizzie takes her young son to London for a much-needed vacation. While there, she ponders what her life will look like going forward and who she wants to spend it with.

This novel felt very Victorian in its “slice of life” realism. Lizzie tries to manage her workload, friendships, and child-rearing duties as best as she can after Philip’s death, all while trying not to fall for her husband’s best friend, Henry, in a way that seemed very relatable.

However, the jump from barely talking to Henry to suddenly being in love with him felt a bit unearned. They had a few FaceTime chats, and suddenly they’re declaring their love for one another. It just felt like there was more going on behind the scenes that I wish we could’ve either seen through action or interiority. I felt like Lizzie was telling us she was grieving and struggling with her growing feelings for Henry, but not letting the reader get a sense of what that felt like. As a reader, I felt distanced from Lizzie in a way I don’t think I should’ve for a first-person narrative.

As a lover of Victorian literature, I loved all the nods to the genre, both in the places Lizzie wandered in England and in her connection to Victorian figures and practices. Overall, though, I just wanted to know Lizzie as a character better.

If you’re a fan of Victorian literature, stories about grief, and moving on after love, How to Grieve Like a Victorian might be for you.