Review: Sorry for Your Loss
Sorry for Your Loss
by Joanne Levy
Orca Book Publishers
Category: Middle Grade
Reviewer: Heidi Rabinowitz
Evie Waldman's family runs a Jewish funeral home, and Evie is eager to help in the family business. When a car accident kills both of Oren's parents, Evie is given the assignment of keeping the boy company during the summer. Still pained by the earlier loss of a friend, Evie has sworn off friendship to avoid the hurt, but mourning, injured, silent Oren turns out to be good company. Evie learns that everyone grieves at their own pace, and finally accepts that loss and life are inextricably intertwined.
Jewish funeral and mourning customs are demystified in a matter-of-fact,
respectful manner, as Evie learns new information or shares her
knowledge with Oren. Other Jewish practices, such as Shabbat observance,
are woven naturally into the narrative. Evie attends a Jewish day
school, and it is clear that the Waldman family is active within the
Jewish community. Strong, Jewishly relevant storytelling makes this book
a good candidate for Sydney Taylor Book Award recognition.
This first-person narrative is a gentle and heartwarming story of the
importance of human relationships, that sensitively faces the issue of
grief head-on. Readers will become better informed about funeral
practices in general and Jewish customs in particular, which may help
alleviate fear of the unknown. Psychologically astute storytelling
brings us characters we can believe in and empathize with. Read with
tissues handy.
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