Book review”Love, Death & Other Scenes by Nova Weetman

Book review”Love, Death & Other Scenes by Nova Weetman

The book Love, Death & Other Scenes by Nova Weetman is a memoir which chronicles the loss and love of a long-term relationship.

By Hayley Thomas

July 02, 2024 05.04 AM

A successful Australian youth literature author, Nova Weetman has branched into non-fiction with her memoir Love, Death & Other Scenes . This book is a poignant exploration of love and loss, germinated as a way for Weetman to process the death of Aidan Fennessy, her partner of 25 years, during the 2020 COVID lockdowns.

Written with the elegance of a play in three acts (a subtle reference to the illustriousFennessy’s professional career as writer of plays) The novel has Weetman invite readers on the personal experience of her grief filled with personal reflections and heartfelt confessions. She confronts her own suffering and loneliness with a dazzling candor, honesty and a sense of humor.

The prologue, interludes, and the epilogue are all written as a letter addressed to her lover, providing an insight into the fragility of losing. Each scene is written with great care, expertly interspersing the stories of Fennessy and Weetman telling how their lives were entwined like their kinship was a natural thing. The power of her writing is in putting readers in the same room as her in the most difficult moment of her own life crying repeatedly, and becoming more aware for the transformative qualities of grieving.

Weetman is a masterful writer who conveys the devastating realities of losing a beloved one, and the devastating effect that cancer can have on our bodies. Her descriptions are evocative and draw readers into the personal details of Fennessy’s disease and the emotional turbulence that ensues. The story of his last moments is a must for anyone with tissues. It’s beautiful and devastating.

All through, Weetman tackles profound questions of the aftermath of the loss. What do you say to your children that their father going to pass away? How can we carry on in a world where reminders of our dear family members are all around us? How can grief shape our identities? Each chapter serves as an homage to the playwright – tiny pieces of him Weetman loved, and which she has to navigate in the absence of them.

Through the sadness, Weetman infuses moments of happiness and wisdom, highlighting the strength of the human spirit and the strength of the love. The book also serves as an investigation into self-discovery as well as the process of growth.

Read: Book review: The Honeyeaters, Jessie Tu

Warm, thoughtful and deeply touching, Love, Death And Other Scenesis an ode to the power of storytelling and Weetman’s ability to convey the universal emotions that connect us. The ability of her to capture the subtleties of love and loss through such clarity and empathy is an absolute must for anyone who has suffered loss or seeks an understanding of the impact it has on us. The book is a message to those who live the life is required following a loss of a significant magnitude and keeps you thinking for a long time when you’ve put it down.

Love, Death and other scenes Nova Weetman
Publisher: UQP
ISBN: 9780702268434
Format Paperback
Pages: 288pp
Price: $34.99
Publication date: 3 April 2024

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