P.S. I Love You

Summary (from the publisher):  A novel about holding on, letting go, and learning to love again.
 
Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed.

The kind of enchanting novel with cross-generational appeal that comes along once in a great while, PS, I Love You is a captivating love letter to the world!

Review: While this may be considered chick lit, I loved this novel, and I felt like it dealt with very real issues that everyone will deal with at least once in their life - moving on after someone you love has died. Thirty year old Holly is left devastated after her husband, Gerry, dies of a brain tumor. Holly feels adrift in the world and struggles as she watches her best friends move on with their lives. But with the help of her family and friends, plus letters that Gerry wrote her before he died, Holly finally is able to accept that life can go on without her husband.

I loved that Cecilia Ahern was able to capture the reality of life - this novel is both funny and sad and is filled with real life woopsies as well as small triumphs. I know I should discuss this novel as it is, but I can't help but discuss the movie too, especially since I saw the movie before I read the book (and the cover of my copy of the book has the actors' faces emblazoned on it). It always intrigues me the things they choose to add/delete when making a movie. Several people asked me why I bothered reading this since I'd already seen the movie and knew what was going to happen but the plot of the book differed pretty dramatically, especially the conclusion, from the film. Additionally, I couldn't picture Hilary Swank as Holly in the book - their personalities were just so wildly different. I love Holly as a character in the novel. And I love how much more realistic the ending of the novel is compared to the Hollywood, happy ending the film creates. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't highly enjoy both the film and the novel, even if they did differ significantly.

I felt for Holly and I loved how strong and brave she was to pick up the pieces of what she thought her future would be like, and was willing to try again. I also loved that she was willing to re-evaluate her first impressions of people, especially her brother Richard, who she grew really close to over the course of this novel. This book and its story felt very real to me, and I was sorry to finish it.

Stars: 4