What to Do When I'M Gone: a Mother'S Wisdom to Her Daughter

Description

Publisher	Bloomsbury
Publication date	28 September 2021
Edition	1st
Language	English
Print length	144 pages
ISBN-10	1526638835
ISBN-13	978-1526638830
Item weight	1.05 kg
Dimensions	22.1 x 1.6 x 16.7 cm

A mother's advice to her daughter--a guide to daily living, both practical and sublime--with full-color illustrations throughout.

A mother's advice to her daughter--a guide to daily living, both practical and sublime--with full-color illustrations throughout.
One sleepless night while she was in her early twenties, illustrator/writer Hallie Bateman had a painful realization- her mom would die, and after she died she would be gone. The prospect was devastating, and also scary--how would she navigate the world without the person who gave her life? She thought about all the motherly advice she would miss--advice that could help her through the challenges to come, including the ordeal of losing a parent.

The next day, Hallie asked her mother, writer Suzy Hopkins, to record step-by-step instructions her to follow in the event of her mom's death. The list began- "Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey and make some fajitas" and continued from there, walking Hallie through the days, months, and years of life after loss, with motherly guidance and support, addressing issues great and small--from choosing a life partner to baking a quiche. The project became a way mother and daughter to connect with humor, openness, and gratitude. It led to this book.

Combining Suzy's wit and heartfelt advice with Hallie's quirky and colorful style, What to Do When I'm Gone is the illustrated instruction manual getting through life without one's mom. It's also a poignant look at loss, love, and taking things one moment at a time. By turns whimsical, funny, touching, and above all pragmatic, it will leave readers laughing and teary-eyed. And it will spur conversations that enrich family members' understanding of one another.