{Review} THE OTHER ROOM by Kim Triedman

ISBN #: 978-0983476474

Page Count: 334

Copyright: October 8, 2013

Publisher: Owl Canyon Press

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Three years after the sudden, mysterious death of their 1-year-old daughter Lily, Josef Coleman, a high-strung New York surgeon, and his editor wife Claudia Macinnes remain mired in anguish and grief. Their mourning has left them reaching out for different things in different ways: Josef for a primal, physical connection that Claudia can no longer bear, and Claudia for a connection of the soul that Josef has never really known how to offer.

To numb his pain and attempt to fill the gaping hole of loss, Josef turns to a young surgical nurse named Kiera; Claudia, meanwhile, is drawn into what seems like an unrequited fantasy about her psychotherapist, Stuart. The time she spends in his office -- this sole "other room" where she can allow herself to project into the future -- becomes a rare bright spot in her weeks.

The couple’s extended families soon become implicated in the unraveling of their lives. Bit by bit, haunting pasts and their impact on the present are revealed, as is the chilling truth about Lily’s death. Interwoven with Claudia’s meticulous journal entries offering glimpses of a sunnier future, the story ultimately takes a surprising turn reaffirming that in tragedy’s wake lie redemption, reckoning and peace.

Charlene's Review:

After Claudia and Josef lose a child, Claudia turns inward, towards a journal, and emotionally, towards her therapist. Josef turns toward the physical, first with Claudia, and after being rebuffed, a mistress. As they both struggle to find peace amidst the tragedy, deeper struggles emerge and a shocking reality is revealed.

Ms. Triedman has written an emotionally compelling novel that haunts you after the final page is read. Told from both sides, Claudia’s and Josef’s, the loss grips you like a hand around your throat, so palpable is the pain. As the distance grows between them, Ms. Triedman does a commendable job of exposing the emotions behind the pain; blame, anger, and disappointment. I felt as if I knew this family, personally, just by the way she delves into their inner thought lives.

Perhaps the biggest secret of all is how their child died, although that is but a small portion of the whole dynamic. The most beautifully, heartbreaking aspect of the story is the sacrifice and love that was required to protect a mothers broken heart. This is a multi-dimensional book that lives and breathes emotion. I was deeply affected by the story and would highly recommend this.

5 out of 5 stars!


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.