Authors: Patricia Carrington, Julia Collins, Claudia Gerbasis and Ann Haynes with Eve Charles

ISBN: 1-4013-0229-7

This book was written by four widows of the September 11^th, 2001 attacks in New York City.  The widows formed a Widows’ Club, WC, and made it a priority to regularly gather for healing and friendship to help them navigate their way through the therapeutic process.  The women found support from friends, family and co-workers, but nothing could replicate the irreplaceable bond they felt with one another.  The more time the Widows’ Club spent together, the tighter their friendship became on the way toward moving from despair to normalcy.

The book title “Love You, Mean It,” came from the Widows’ Club signature line in e-mails and phone conversations with one another.  Before long, the initials LYMI became their signature line. 

Pattie Carrington, Julia Collins, Claudia Gerbasi and Ann Haynes, with the help of a co-writer, penned this powerful memoir about their experiences together as widows, and the stages of grief they each endured.  The book is chronologically arranged from the WC’s first meeting through September 11^th, 2004, the third anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York.  The chapters are arranged with essays by each widow, Pattie, Julia, Claudia and Ann.  Each essay tells a story of how they each met their husband, how the women met and important anniversaries shared with the club.

Toward the end of the memoir, each member of the Widows’ Club begins to move forward in their own way.  The four women began to go to therapy sessions and even date.  Pattie introduced Claudia to a good friend, John Donovan.  Claudia and John married in an island ceremony, with the other members of the WC, being bridesmaids. 

“For us, friendship had been our North Star, guiding us to a place where we could see that losing everything brings pain, but it also brings a new perspective.  “Love You, Mean It” is a book that will appeal to all readers.  Collectively, we have all been horrified from the images of 9/11 that will forever be seared in our memories.  This book takes a personal approach in allowing the reader to empathize with some of the 9/11 widows and read about their ways of healing the pain while moving on to the future.

The above review was contributed by: Shelley Bueché:  Click Here to Read More of Shelley's Reviews