A deeply resonant memoir for anyone who has loved and lost, from acclaimed poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander.

In The Light of the World, Elizabeth Alexander - poet, mother, and wife - finds herself at an existential crossroads after the death of her husband, who was just 49. Reflecting with gratitude on the exquisite beauty of her married life that was, grappling with the subsequent void, and feeling a re-energized devotion to her two teenage sons, Alexander channels her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid prose that describes a very personal and yet universal quest for meaning, understanding, and acceptance, taking stock of herself at the midcentury mark.

This memoir is about being strong when you want to collapse, being grateful when someone has been stolen from you - but mostly, it’s about discovering the truth in life’s journey: the good, the bad, and the ugly.