Review of It'll Be Alright, Maggie Jiggs

[Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez]

[Following is a volunteer review of "It'll Be Alright, Maggie Jiggs" by Karen Thiel.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Are you ever ready to lose your best friend? It’ll Be All Right, Maggie Jiggs by Karen Thiel is a powerful, emotional memoir about grief. After her mother’s passing, Karen was a mess; she went numb from pain, incapable of moving on. She could not believe her mother was gone. How could she move on? How could she let go of the pain she was experiencing?

Through the pages of the book, we join Karen Thiel as she deals with her loss, her grieving, and the memories she shared with her mother. From the change in their cat’s behavior and the emptiness of the house where they lived to her numbness, Karen Thiel leaves no detail behind. The book is not just a compilation of the saddest parts of grief; it also shares some entertaining stories from her childhood, her relationship with her brothers and sisters, and the lessons life has taught her.

I loved the raw honesty Thiel writes with; every emotion can be felt by the reader. The book feels like a long letter to her mother, making sure she is at peace as her daughter heals her pain. My mother is my best friend, and I felt a lot of similarities between Thiel and her mother’s relationship. I lost my father at a very young age, and while I cannot remember everything that happened and I felt when I understood what was happening, I did relate to some of the things Thiel was narrating, like the feeling of talking to a headstone. Even with all the details and the feelings and grieving process, I still cannot imagine nor comprehend how one person can deal with the loss of a parent or a best friend, and I know I will have to get through it at some time, so I hope I can remember this book and hold on to its pages to help me grieve. I also loved the subtle moments where Thiel talked about God and heaven, as it never felt forced upon the reader but part of her grieving process, the need to believe life is not just over after death, that something beautiful exists somewhere where we can be again with our family. I've felt that too, and maybe that is why I interpreted her words that way.

At times, the book felt disorganized, but that only gave it another realistic perspective: when one is in pain, thoughts don’t follow an order. There is nothing negative I can say about the book; it is an emotional masterpiece. The book has been professionally edited, but I did find some mistakes. The book is honest, simple, yet powerful; it will make every reader think of a person they loved and lost. Because of everything I have said, I am glad to rate this book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this book to anyone struggling with an incurable disease or those who have recently lost a loved one (especially a parent). This book is also recommended for therapists, as it can help some of their patients.

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It'll Be Alright, Maggie Jiggs
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[Julie Marie Basil]

This sounds like a very moving story that could be a great companion to someone who is in a season of grief. Thank you for sharing this recommendation!