Talking to the Dead

by Bonnie Grove
David C. Cook, 2009

When Kate's husband, Kevin, dies suddenly after they've been married only five years, Kate is devastated and lost. The pair had been high school sweethearts with shared dreams for the future. Dreams of a house filled with children, love, and laughter. And when Kate starts hearing Kevin's voice after the funeral, she is filled with both longing and despair. Is she going crazy? And why does Kevin seem to turn on her?

Kate's mother, whose own husband passed away eight months earlier, gives Kate the space that she needs. Her sister, Heather, and Kevin's best friend, Blair, are always there when she needs them. Maggie, an older woman from Kevin's church, wants to help. But there are gaps in Kate's memory - important things about the past and her marriage to Kevin that Kate needs to remember before she can move forward.

Counseling, group therapy, and medication for depression help, but aren't enough in and of themselves. Could she be "spiritually blocked" as one counselor suggests? As Kate recovers bits and pieces of her past, and learns of several betrayals, she turns to Jack Slater, a pastor/youth worker she met at a downtown community centre. With his friendship and insight come the beginnings of healing and forgiveness.

This is one of the best first novels I've had the pleasure to read. Bonnie is a gifted writer, who draws the reader into the story and doesn't let go. I literally had a difficult time putting this down, and eagerly anticipate Bonnie's next book.