Julie's Reviews: The Widow Waltz

Summary: Georgia Waltz has things many people only dream of: a plush Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park, a Hamptons beach house, valuable jewels and art, two bright daughters, and a husband she adores, even after decades of marriage. Its only when Ben suddenly drops dead from a massive coronary while training for the New York City Marathon that Georgia discovers her husband—a successful lawyer—has left them nearly penniless. Their wonderland was built on lies. As the family attorney scours emptied bank accounts, Georgia must not only look for a way to support her family, she needs to face the revelation that Ben was not the perfect husband he appeared to be, just as her daughters—now ensconced back at home with secrets of their own—have to accept that they may not be returning to their lives in Paris and at Stanford subsidized by the Bank of Mom and Dad. As she uncovers hidden resilience, Georgias sudden midlife shift forces her to consider who she is and what she truly values. That Georgia may also find new love in the land of Spanx and stretch marks surprises everyone—most of all, her.  Sally Koslows fourth novel is deftly told through the alternating viewpoints of her remarkable female protagonists as they plumb for the grit required to reinvent their lives. Inspiring, funny, and deeply satisfying, The Widow Waltz explores in a profound way the bonds between mothers and daughters, belligerent siblings, skittish lovers, and bitter rivals as they discover the power of forgiveness, and healing, all while asking, “What is family, really?” ~powells.com

Review: The Widow Waltz is a deftly written story about a women who loses her husband to a heart attack and begins to uncover things she didn't know about him. Along with trying to find out where all their money went, Georgia Waltz, needs to also try to help her adult daughters find themselves.

The Widow Waltz is a great examination of family, loss, love and rebirth. Do we really need things to make us happy? What if we suddenly couldn't have the same lifestyle; what would we change? Not only that but you are dealing with the emotions of losing your husband suddenly. Then you get the news that you only have $38,000 in your bank account when you were expecting much more. How would you handle that? Crawl in a corner and cry, get angry or resolve to figure it out. Georgia does the last.

At times, the story did waiver. I just wanted Georgia to figure it all out and get on with her life. She does slowly figure it out and gets on with her life. While I might have hoped for a bit of a different ending, I was pleased to know that all the Silver-Waltz girls end up happy in the end.

Ms. Koslow has a way of taking a situation and writing a great novel around it. It is always infused with humor, wit and heart. The Widow Waltz is no different. If you are looking for a quick weekend or summer read, then this book will fit the bill.
Final Take: 4/5

Thanks to the author who sent me a copy of the book for reading and reviewing.



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