I stumbled onto this memoir ( thank you Oyster books!) and basically finished it in one sitting.  For those unfamiliar with Jane Kenyon and Donald Hall -they  are both poets, married for 23 years and sadly parted because of Jane Kenyon’s untimely death.   Even though an unexpected illness does take up a large percentage of the memoir what I found so moving was that it was the story of a happy marriage, of two incredibly bright/funny/engaging individuals. I loved  Donald Hall’s description of how as a couple they dealt with giving joint readings-Donald Hall for most of their marriage being the more well known of the pair.  Their solution was an A/B rotation with some amusing results.  It is easy to romanticize the idea of two poets living together in a New England Farmhouse, but what I liked so much about this book was the stark reality of life as a couple and as working poets.

Although it is never easy to read a memoir of loss-this memoir is both parts cathartic and uplifting.  I am still touched by their commitment to each other and their writing.