Fiction

This Shining Life

This Shining Life

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  • Create Date：2021-07-12 07:51:18
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Harriet Kline
  • ISBN：0857526278
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Summary

For Rich， life is golden。
He fizzes with happiness and love。
But Rich has an incurable brain tumour。

After Rich dies， his wife Ruth can't see how to how to keep living， and their young son Ollie is intent on working out the meaning of life。 Because everything happens for a reason。 Doesn't it？

Rich leaves behind a family without a father， a husband， a son and a best friend。 And he also leaves behind a present for each of them。 But while Ollie tries to understand the message within each present， Ruth finds herself adrift。 The grief that is threatening to drown her has also unearthed long buried pain。 Pain she has to face if she is to have any chance of moving on。。。

Harriet Kline weaves together the voices of a grieving family and paints an achingly beautiful picture of love in all its forms: absent， lost and， ultimately， regained。

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Reviews

CJ Mason The Fallen Librarian Reviews ，

My review of this exceptional book is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian。wordpress。。。。 My review of this exceptional book is on my blog https://thefallenlibrarian。wordpress。。。。 。。。more

Jennifer Li ，

This is quite a heartbreaking read from the beginning where the reader knows Rich will die （the reader is regularly reminded by his son’s statement ‘My Dad died。’）。 We get flashbacks to the days following his prognosis from Rich’s perspective but also perspectives from all the key people in his life - his wife， son， parents， his mother in law， friend and sister in law。With all these multiple POVs， we get an intimate insight into the manifestation of grief and loss in all shapes and sizes that is This is quite a heartbreaking read from the beginning where the reader knows Rich will die （the reader is regularly reminded by his son’s statement ‘My Dad died。’）。 We get flashbacks to the days following his prognosis from Rich’s perspective but also perspectives from all the key people in his life - his wife， son， parents， his mother in law， friend and sister in law。With all these multiple POVs， we get an intimate insight into the manifestation of grief and loss in all shapes and sizes that is truly personal and individual。 From all these angles we build an interesting picture of grief， love， loss and the meaning of life。 It almost reads like a grief memoir at times， written in a style that emulates the process of grieving， writing down one’s thoughts during it， which makes this read feel very poignant and poetic。We also get an interesting insight into the characters that are somewhat quirky and not always likeable like Angran， though Kline’s writing makes us feel empathy towards these characters given the circumstances。Lastly I love the use of natural imagery that is dotted throughout the book， which really comes alive in the description。 For example I really enjoyed reading the picnic scene that Ruth plans for her， Rich and Ollie to go on and enjoy a bit of family time。A really beautifully perceptive and thoughtful story exploring grief， loss， love and what it means to be alive。 Heartbreaking but also an uplifting and life-affirming read too。 。。。more

Lost_in_her_bookland ，

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞⁣⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣⁣~ 𝘗𝘙-𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 ~⁣⁣A raw and emotional novel based on grief and the unconsious selfishness surrounding it。 A story of the betrayal that death leaves， everyone in its path devastated， but with a beautiful enlightening outlook on better days ahead。⁣⁣"When Rich dies， his wife Ruth can't see how to keep on living and their Son Ollie is intent on finding the meaning of life。 Rich leaves a family without a father， best friend， son and husband。 Pain too unbearable to car 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞⁣⭐⭐⭐⭐⁣⁣~ 𝘗𝘙-𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 ~⁣⁣A raw and emotional novel based on grief and the unconsious selfishness surrounding it。 A story of the betrayal that death leaves， everyone in its path devastated， but with a beautiful enlightening outlook on better days ahead。⁣⁣"When Rich dies， his wife Ruth can't see how to keep on living and their Son Ollie is intent on finding the meaning of life。 Rich leaves a family without a father， best friend， son and husband。 Pain too unbearable to carry on for them all， especially for Ruth， this grief leaving open past wounds she must face in order to move on"⁣⁣This was written with real compassion and understanding， and Kline was not afraid to create characters and times that were unappealing， irritating， selfish。 Because when you're caught up in your own grief， 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦。 I found the complex family relationships relatable， many families struggling to find their place in the grief which happens to so many。 ⁣⁣The viewpoints came from each one of the prominent family members including Rich himself， but for me the viewpoint that hit home the most was Rich's father Gerald。 Such a troubled pained gentleman， unable to voice or express his distress， I felt his character was written with the most impact。 Besides i love it when a man cries。 We're all human。⁣⁣A novel that I felt would leave me depressed and pained instead left me contemplating， reflecting and appreciating。 𝐀𝐧 𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡， 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧。⁣⁣Thank you so much to @hanasparkes @doubledayukbooks @tabbyaa & @harriet_kline for having me on your book tour 🍏 ⁣⁣#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #photosofbooks #bookreview #bookreviewer #4starreview #sharethebooklove #thisshininglife #booksaboutgrief #bookclub #bookgroup #bookrecos #bookrecommendations #whatimreading #currentread #bookreviewersofinstagram #ukbookworm #doubledaybooks #harrietkline #review #bookphotography #booksbooksbooks 。。。more

Nancy ，

This is such a quirky book， and the characters are very unusual！ There are usually "strange" members in any family， but these people， （some in-laws included） are varying degrees of damaged， and/or dysfunctional！ In spite of， or more probably because of this， I thoroughly enjoyed this book！ There are so many things I'm still thinking about and will for a while。 I won't go into details as many others have done that， but just say this one is worth the read！Thank you to #NetGalley， author， Harriet K This is such a quirky book， and the characters are very unusual！ There are usually "strange" members in any family， but these people， （some in-laws included） are varying degrees of damaged， and/or dysfunctional！ In spite of， or more probably because of this， I thoroughly enjoyed this book！ There are so many things I'm still thinking about and will for a while。 I won't go into details as many others have done that， but just say this one is worth the read！Thank you to #NetGalley， author， Harriet Klune， and Random House for the pre-publication copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Anne ，

This Shining Life is a beautifully written novel that takes a look at the complexities of family life。 It reveals the intricacies of human relationships， and how one person can affect the others in such different ways。 Rich is a teacher， in his late forties。 Married to Ruth， they have one son; eleven-year-old Ollie。 Ollie is a special little boy。 He loves puzzles， he hates hugs。 He can't bear to feel a loose thread in his socks and needs to have the same schedule for his rotation of breakfasts。 This Shining Life is a beautifully written novel that takes a look at the complexities of family life。 It reveals the intricacies of human relationships， and how one person can affect the others in such different ways。 Rich is a teacher， in his late forties。 Married to Ruth， they have one son; eleven-year-old Ollie。 Ollie is a special little boy。 He loves puzzles， he hates hugs。 He can't bear to feel a loose thread in his socks and needs to have the same schedule for his rotation of breakfasts。 Toast， porridge， jam， honey 。。 on the correct days and in the correct order。 Ollie is autistic and can be challenging。 However， Rich has the knack and can usually calm him down， with laughter and with puzzles。 Rich has a brain tumour and is going to die。 The story is told in time splits; during the prognosis and spread of the illness and then， after Rich dies。 We hear from those closest to Rich。 Ollie and his mum Ruth。 Ruth's sister Nessa and their mother Angran， and then Rich's own parents; 'other grandma and grandpa'。 It's a wonderful way to structure a novel， enabling the reader to feel the impact that Rich's passing has on those that loved him the most。 Poor Ollie is determined to solve the puzzle that he thinks Rich left for him; 'what does it mean to be alive？'。 Ollie's obsession with this question leads to the other characters just becoming more and more annoyed with him， whilst they all know that Ollie's brain works in a different way， their own grief makes it very difficult for them to take the time to contemplate just what Ollie is asking， and why。Ruth's overwhelming grief leads to a deep depression and she begins to see herself in her mother Angran。 Nessa and Ruth have always thought that their mother neglected them as children， but the current situation makes Ruth more aware of what Angran had to deal with as a young single mother。 Other Grandma and Grandpa are also struggling。 Grandpa is in the early stages of dementia and just cannot tolerate Ollie's quirkiness， often losing his temper or being extremely rude， but always so sad about his son's death。 This is a story that really touched me。 The characters are most certainly flawed， but oh so human。 Grief is a thing that will affect us all during our lives， and we will all cope with it in different ways。 There's no correct way， only our way and Harriet Kline explains this wonderfully through her poignant and tender writing。 。。。more

Bridget ，

This Shining Life is an exploration of the impact of Rich’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent death on the members of his family。 Although this is such a terribly sad tale there are lighter moments and times of joy。 Harriet Kline's characters are beautifully drawn， each with misunderstandings of one another。 I was particularly fond of Ollie’s character as he tries to cope with the world around him。 Some huge subjects are touched on in this novel including terminal illness， mental illness， dementia This Shining Life is an exploration of the impact of Rich’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent death on the members of his family。 Although this is such a terribly sad tale there are lighter moments and times of joy。 Harriet Kline's characters are beautifully drawn， each with misunderstandings of one another。 I was particularly fond of Ollie’s character as he tries to cope with the world around him。 Some huge subjects are touched on in this novel including terminal illness， mental illness， dementia， and bereavement， yet the author never allows things to become too melancholy。 Compelling， bittersweet and beautifully written。I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Random House/ Doubleday via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more

Zoe Hopkins ，

“Can I do that puzzle， Dad， the one that tells you what it means to be alive？” A very compelling and hard hitting novel about a father who leaves behind a family after he passes away from brain cancer。 I really loved Rich’s character， the way he loved life and was going to enjoy and make the most of his last days whilst he could。 In the wake of Rich’s death we see how Ruth deals with it all， as well as caring for their autistic son Ollie。Although the storyline focuses around Rich’s death， there “Can I do that puzzle， Dad， the one that tells you what it means to be alive？” A very compelling and hard hitting novel about a father who leaves behind a family after he passes away from brain cancer。 I really loved Rich’s character， the way he loved life and was going to enjoy and make the most of his last days whilst he could。 In the wake of Rich’s death we see how Ruth deals with it all， as well as caring for their autistic son Ollie。Although the storyline focuses around Rich’s death， there are lighter moments that made me smile。 I was frustrated by some of the characters， especially in some situations when they were dealing with Ollie。 But I think this shows credit to Kline’s writing as it shows how we are humans and all have flaws， often misunderstanding each other。As I’ve said before I love reading from different POVs so really enjoyed this element of the book！ A beautifully written story about loss and grief and how we as humans learn to grow and move forward after these heartbreaking times。 💛I believe this is a debut novel for @harriet_kline so I’m very excited to hopefully see more in the future！ 。。。more

The Lotus Readers ，

Wow， this is heartbreakingly sad， but so beautiful too。 Rich is dying。 Funny， charming， Rich has a love of cheese and throwing parties。 He has a son called Ollie who is neuro-diverse and a wife called Ruth who is coping with so much anyway， how will she cope with his death？ The book covers Rich’s attempts to live， while dying and also the aftermath of his death where Ruth and Ollie have to learn how to cope without the most important person in their life。 Ruth finds it very hard to cope with the Wow， this is heartbreakingly sad， but so beautiful too。 Rich is dying。 Funny， charming， Rich has a love of cheese and throwing parties。 He has a son called Ollie who is neuro-diverse and a wife called Ruth who is coping with so much anyway， how will she cope with his death？ The book covers Rich’s attempts to live， while dying and also the aftermath of his death where Ruth and Ollie have to learn how to cope without the most important person in their life。 Ruth finds it very hard to cope with the idea that her time with Rich is now limited and she has no idea when。 As time passes， Ollie finds it harder too。 He doesn’t understand what it means to die。 So， Rich devises a plan and involves his son in choosing gifts for those he loves， as something to remember him by。 Ollie loves puzzles and he sees the presents as clues - he thinks each gift has a hidden meaning that his Dad chose to teach him the meaning of life。 The story is told through the important people in Rich’s life and it begins with Ollie。 Ollie has realised that the gifts went to the wrong people and he must rectify the mistakes， because otherwise he’ll never understand life or death。 He is starting to come apart at the seams but has anyone noticed？ Ruth is struggling to cope with his obsessive rituals and her grief is all encompassing。 In counselling we refer to ‘complicated grief’ - this can happen when a death is: unexpected with things unresolved or left unsaid， a sudden decline or an accident， the result of a crime， long-term health related with caring roles attached， complicated by circumstances such as being out of touch or at odds with each other， or where a disease is hereditary。 Here， Ruth and Ollie haven’t really had time to prepare and their lives have had to adapt very quickly。 Ruth can’t fall apart because she has to be there for Ollie， but it is wearing her down and she needs to deal with her own feelings too。 I liked the way the author brought in other voices， from Ruth’s family to Rich’s own mother and father， each with their own grief and needs。 The author is a great observer of human behaviour and family dynamics。 We can see how grief passes through this family， less like ripples on a pond and more like a shockwave passing through everyone in the vicinity。 I talk with clients about the circle of grief - this is a series of concentric circles with the person experiencing the bereavement in the centre， next their spouse or partner， then in layers outwards until we get to the wider community。 This is a simple tool that works well in the context of working with an individual because in that space， they are the afflicted person。 We show how grief is expressed outward - with people in the outer circles expressing grief outward to family， friends， then they go to workmates or the wider community。 Then comfort is expressed inwards， with those in outer circle ‘shoring up’ those further in， giving them the strength to support those in the inner circle。 People in the outer circles should not be expecting comfort from those in the centre。 Yet， grief is rarely so neatly expressed and the circles are often breached。 This could be because of narcissism or lack of boundaries。 However， more likely， what happens is shown very clearly in this book。 Everyone is at the centre of their own circle。 Ruth has to show comfort outward to Ollie and to Rich’s parents who are both struggling with their own grief and the added complication of dementia。 Some people can’t put another’s needs in front of their own。 When we face a huge upheaval or loss in our lives， we experience it through our own filter。 Made up of our own experiences， the emotions we find it easy or difficult to express， our own bias or prejudice。 The author has written such an authentic story of loss by exploring each character’s filters， their earlier life experiences and the unique relationship they had with Rich。 We each grieve in a unique way because of the unique way we connected with that person。 In dying， Rich has given them all the secret， of the meaning of life。 It’s in the connections we have with another person and in a way Ollie is right - the gifts do hold the secret。 Rich has bought each person something he thinks will remind them of him， in the context of the relationship they had。 Knowing each person will miss him in a different way。 I thought the book was emotionally intelligent， full of complex and interesting characters and explored beautifully what happens when such a big personality is taken from a family。 A final mention must go to that beautiful cover， with Ollie using his binoculars to focus on the beauty in the world。 Simply stunning。 。。。more

Celia ，

A beautifully constructed， beautifully written story about how different members of an extended family cope with grief。 Each and everyone comes alive on the page。 The parents' coping with their grief and the onset of dimentia I found particularly moving。 Thank you， Harriet Kline， for a very moving goodread A beautifully constructed， beautifully written story about how different members of an extended family cope with grief。 Each and everyone comes alive on the page。 The parents' coping with their grief and the onset of dimentia I found particularly moving。 Thank you， Harriet Kline， for a very moving goodread 。。。more

Sue Parry ，

This Shining Life is a beautifully written story of a family’s growing understanding of themselves， others and loss。 Harriet Kline’s description of place and person transport you into this deeply moving tale with not a word wasted。 I thoroughly recommend to all。

Karen Huxtable ，

I will start with a Trigger warning as there is a cancer diagnosis and bereavement， however it is also beautifully written and honest 。Rich is a husband， a father， a son and a friend and when he is diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour， his life and the lives of those close to him are tipped upside down。The book is written from the perspective of those people affected but also most poignantly Ollie， Rich’s son。 Ollie find the world a struggle anyway and his Dad often helped him to make sense I will start with a Trigger warning as there is a cancer diagnosis and bereavement， however it is also beautifully written and honest 。Rich is a husband， a father， a son and a friend and when he is diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour， his life and the lives of those close to him are tipped upside down。The book is written from the perspective of those people affected but also most poignantly Ollie， Rich’s son。 Ollie find the world a struggle anyway and his Dad often helped him to make sense of this so after he is gone and everything is different he finds life even more of a struggle。 Rich leaves a list of presents and they all get muddled and Ollie can not rest until the puzzle is solved。The story highlights the complex relationships that the families have and how each one has a different way of dealing with loss。 This book will make you weep and laugh， it is so raw and real that I could feel the grief， anger and sorrow that they are all going through。 I particularly found Ollie’s grief heartbreaking as he cannot understand why his Dad has died and I think this is such a common feeling when someone close to you does die but the way that author is able to articulate this so heart rending it really touched me so deeply。Although this is not an easy read it is hopeful， remarkable and unique。5 stars ***** 。。。more

Christi ，

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law。*

Nursebookie ，

This Shining LifeBy Harriet KlineThis story is about grief and loss。 But there is so much more – it is a story about Ruth， Rich， and Ollie。 Rich has passed away from brain cancer and Ruth is left to navigate the rest of their lives alone with her eleven year old eccentric neurodiverse son Ollie。 Rich leaves the surviving family with special gifts and with the help of Ollie， each learns to understand their gift – what it means to live and live their life fully。 This touching story will resonate w This Shining LifeBy Harriet KlineThis story is about grief and loss。 But there is so much more – it is a story about Ruth， Rich， and Ollie。 Rich has passed away from brain cancer and Ruth is left to navigate the rest of their lives alone with her eleven year old eccentric neurodiverse son Ollie。 Rich leaves the surviving family with special gifts and with the help of Ollie， each learns to understand their gift – what it means to live and live their life fully。 This touching story will resonate with many who has suffered loss and are dealing with grief of a loved one。 This was such a special story with many life lessons to teach us。 。。。more

Kim Pet ，

With brain tumors， altheimers， surviving， and caring for those who are walking the ends of their life， there has been a lot of life that has been lived。 A story of putting the pieces of life together， it’s meanings for individuals and the art of leaving behind something meaningful， Kline gives us one family’s experiences。 The plot is detailed and the writing is worthy， but the storyline didn’t enthrall me。

Kaye Fraser ，

I’m in two minds about this book - is it a gentle， in depth story of love， loss and vivid characterisation， or a fictionalised ‘misery memoir’？ A bit of both I think， but the darkness and grief are somewhat relentless， and the reader has to wait until near the end for even a glimmer of hope and a more positive future for the characters。 It is beautifully written however， and the characters leap off the page。 Rich is diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour and the story follows the people closes I’m in two minds about this book - is it a gentle， in depth story of love， loss and vivid characterisation， or a fictionalised ‘misery memoir’？ A bit of both I think， but the darkness and grief are somewhat relentless， and the reader has to wait until near the end for even a glimmer of hope and a more positive future for the characters。 It is beautifully written however， and the characters leap off the page。 Rich is diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour and the story follows the people closest to him as they deal with his departing。 It centres around Ollie， his son who is clearly autistic， and his wife， Ruth， who is understandably devastated by Rich’s diagnosis。 At the start of the book the family is fractured， with each of the characters pretty self absorbed， but by the end they have a much greater understating of each other， and particularly of Ollie。 I did read this until late into the night， so it definitely has sticking power， but there is not much cheer here。 。。。more

Bookclubforme ，

With a tragic loss at it's heart， Kline's debut is one that hits you right in the feels but which also celebrates love and life in all it's glory alongside it's exploration of grief。 The story follows Ruth and Ollie as they try to navigate life after the death of Rich， the head of their family， who fizzed with happiness and love right up until the end。 When he dies， Ruth can't see how to keep living and Ollie becomes intent on working out the meaning of life。 When they discover the mismatched gi With a tragic loss at it's heart， Kline's debut is one that hits you right in the feels but which also celebrates love and life in all it's glory alongside it's exploration of grief。 The story follows Ruth and Ollie as they try to navigate life after the death of Rich， the head of their family， who fizzed with happiness and love right up until the end。 When he dies， Ruth can't see how to keep living and Ollie becomes intent on working out the meaning of life。 When they discover the mismatched gifts Rich has left behind for his loved ones， Ollie tries to understand the meaning behind each one， convinced there's a puzzle to solve。 Ruth， meanwhile struggles to overcome her grief。 Together， with their families support， they take their first tentative steps towards moving on， a journey which turns out to be both joyful and painful。Tenderly written， thoughtful and heartbreakingly touching， I wasn't quite prepared for the rush of emotions I felt whilst reading。 I found myself genuinely moved and rooting for the quirky members of the novels grieving family， even if at times I found them completely maddening。 I loved witnessing their hope and reconciliations which turned the saddest period into something so heart-warming。 I really enjoyed their story， Kline has written such a beautiful debut。 🌻🌷 。。。more

Emma ，

This is a slow read as there are a lot of family members whose stories we follow。 Ollie is the central character who brings them altogether after the death of his Father。 Ollie is a great character and I did think that his needs were not entirely met at first。 Grief affects everyone differently though and this book definitely shows this。 It is well written but can be difficult to read at times。 I wanted to finish it though to see if and how Ollie finished his puzzle。 The subject of illness， deat This is a slow read as there are a lot of family members whose stories we follow。 Ollie is the central character who brings them altogether after the death of his Father。 Ollie is a great character and I did think that his needs were not entirely met at first。 Grief affects everyone differently though and this book definitely shows this。 It is well written but can be difficult to read at times。 I wanted to finish it though to see if and how Ollie finished his puzzle。 The subject of illness， death and grief can be heavy going at times but it is worth it。 Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC。 。。。more

Cathy ，

This Shining Life is an intimate exploration of the impact of Rich’s diagnosis and subsequent death on the members of his extended family。 All of them struggle to cope in different ways， partly because some of them face other challenges on top of their grief at his loss， such as difficult childhood memories or caring responsibilities。 The book switches between before and after Rich’s death and unfolds from the points of view of a number of family members， including Rich himself。The most powerful This Shining Life is an intimate exploration of the impact of Rich’s diagnosis and subsequent death on the members of his extended family。 All of them struggle to cope in different ways， partly because some of them face other challenges on top of their grief at his loss， such as difficult childhood memories or caring responsibilities。 The book switches between before and after Rich’s death and unfolds from the points of view of a number of family members， including Rich himself。The most powerful of these for me were the sections told – in the first person- by Rich’s young son， Ollie。 Ollie’s neuro diversity gives him an unique perspective as he struggles to interpret the words and actions of others， in everyday life let alone at a time of such heightened emotions。 As he says， “I hate trying to work out special meanings。 You can never be sure whether you’ve got them right of wrong”。 Indeed， a particularly interesting aspect of the book is the way it explores how we interpret the meaning of words and learn to discern whether their use is literal， metaphorical or merely a ‘turn of phrase’ such as Rich’s personal favourite， ‘Life’s too short’。Ollie， in particular， exemplifies this struggle to understand the meaning of words in his touchingly literal interpretation of his father’s remark that life is a puzzle。 It’s a puzzle Ollie is determined to solve， applying himself to the task with the same determination he did to memorising the names of the members of football teams or to solving sudoku puzzles。Rich’s desire to leave gifts behind that will communicate to the recipients what they meant to him involves much careful thought on his part。 And perhaps it is that degree of thought that， in the end， means just as much to the recipients as the gifts themselves。 In fact， the whole gifting process turns out to be an apt metaphor for the emotional confusion that often follows a bereavement。This Shining Life tackles some big subjects including terminal illness， caring for people with dementia， bereavement and mental illness。 However， the author always manages to stay the right side of the maudlin or sentimental。 And a cover quote by an author of the pedigree of Rachel Joyce describing the book as ‘exquisitely beautiful and compelling’ is not one that can be easily ignored is it？ 。。。more

Sonya Moyle ，

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。Ruth's husband Rich is dying of a brain tumor。 They have a young son， Ollie， who is a bit。。。different。Rich plans to give gifts to each of his family members when he dies， and when they do so， it seems that there has been a mistake。 Each person received a gift that just doesn't quite make sense。Ollie feels this is a puzzle that his dad has left for him and he is determined to solve it so he c Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。Ruth's husband Rich is dying of a brain tumor。 They have a young son， Ollie， who is a bit。。。different。Rich plans to give gifts to each of his family members when he dies， and when they do so， it seems that there has been a mistake。 Each person received a gift that just doesn't quite make sense。Ollie feels this is a puzzle that his dad has left for him and he is determined to solve it so he can truly feel what it really means to be alive （something his dad told him）。This is a story about love and loss， being different and that's ok。。。。I had a tough time focusing on this one at times。 。。。more

Amy Weaver ，

I was very kindly gifted This Shining Life by Doubleday books in exchange for an honest review。I found this to be an incredibly moving and empathetic portrayal of a family struggling to cope after of the death of their loved one， Rich。 The multiple POV’s for each family member gives us an intimate insight into how each character felt and dealt with grief。 Although the book is heartbreaking and made me cry （like UGLY cry）， the terrible pain of grief is lightened by moments of humour and love in t I was very kindly gifted This Shining Life by Doubleday books in exchange for an honest review。I found this to be an incredibly moving and empathetic portrayal of a family struggling to cope after of the death of their loved one， Rich。 The multiple POV’s for each family member gives us an intimate insight into how each character felt and dealt with grief。 Although the book is heartbreaking and made me cry （like UGLY cry）， the terrible pain of grief is lightened by moments of humour and love in this novel。 The characters are beautifully drawn but each with their flaws。 There is a rawness to each characters grief， anger， depression and confusion。 This was one of the things I loved most about this book; how @harriet_kline expertly highlights that there are many faces of grief and there is no set way to experience it。 I mostly enjoyed reading from the POV of Rich’s son Ollie， who's an 11 year old Autistic boy trying to understand the world around him and get his family （who are absorbed in their own grief） to listen to his questions。 At times I became frustrated with the rest of the family and just wanted them to hear Ollie and to understand him。 Despite my frustrations， it was heartwarming watching them learn to be more understanding of each other and understand that love can come in many forms。Overall， this was a beautiful book that moved me to tears。 It’s heartbreaking and a difficult read， but This Shining Life is also an uplifting exploration of how to move on after experiencing loss。 。。。more

Brenda ，

When Rich was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour， his wife， Ruth， was devastated。 Everyone was – Nessa， Ruth’s sister and Angram， Nessa and Ruth’s mother。 Marjorie and Gerald， Rich’s parents couldn’t get past the grief of it all。 Gerald himself was drifting into the beginnings of dementia。 But it was eleven-year-old Ollie， Rich and Ruth’s son who struggled the most。 Ollie was autistic and needed his routine， which his dad understood。 And with everyone knowing Rich was going to die， Rich ch When Rich was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour， his wife， Ruth， was devastated。 Everyone was – Nessa， Ruth’s sister and Angram， Nessa and Ruth’s mother。 Marjorie and Gerald， Rich’s parents couldn’t get past the grief of it all。 Gerald himself was drifting into the beginnings of dementia。 But it was eleven-year-old Ollie， Rich and Ruth’s son who struggled the most。 Ollie was autistic and needed his routine， which his dad understood。 And with everyone knowing Rich was going to die， Rich chose to buy gifts for all those he loved。 Ollie loved puzzles; sudoku was his greatest challenge and biggest delight， and Ollie thought his dad had set him a puzzle with the gifts， so when he died， Ollie wanted to work out the puzzle to know the meaning of life…This Shining Life is a gentle， poignant look at grief， love， sadness and life by Harriet Kline， her debut novel。 Ollie was a delight， struggling with everyday issues that changed regularly – not something he could manage。 His meltdowns when they came， were spectacular and his father was the one to help him through。 I enjoyed each and every character in this book， with Ollie being at the top of the list。 The beauty of everyday pleasures drifted away after Rich’s death， but would his family find them again？ I must make mention of the beautiful cover as well， and now I've read the book， the cover's meaning！ Highly recommended。With thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers， Penguin Random House， UK， for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Maria Simson ，

A very tragic story about a young son trying to find the meaning of being alive after the death of his father。 I found it really moving on how the characters coped with the death of a loved one。 In the end， it was nice to see the growth in the characters。 I really liked the author's writing style。 The story flowed really well and even though it did have 3 parts I found that each part flowed well into the next part。 Overall I am happy I decided to read this and I would recommend this to others。 A very tragic story about a young son trying to find the meaning of being alive after the death of his father。 I found it really moving on how the characters coped with the death of a loved one。 In the end， it was nice to see the growth in the characters。 I really liked the author's writing style。 The story flowed really well and even though it did have 3 parts I found that each part flowed well into the next part。 Overall I am happy I decided to read this and I would recommend this to others。 。。。more

Lauren Kate Hannah ，

When Rich dies， he leaves behind his wife Ruth and their son Ollie。 While Ollie tries to understand the meaning of being alive， Ruth struggles to adapt to a life without her warm， wonderful husband。 For me， the best chapters focused upon the last months of Rich’s life。 You’d like to imagine that your last weeks on earth were wonderous， filled with all your favourite people and places。 But the reality is that things don’t always work out as you’d imagine， and I liked that Rich’s last days with hi When Rich dies， he leaves behind his wife Ruth and their son Ollie。 While Ollie tries to understand the meaning of being alive， Ruth struggles to adapt to a life without her warm， wonderful husband。 For me， the best chapters focused upon the last months of Rich’s life。 You’d like to imagine that your last weeks on earth were wonderous， filled with all your favourite people and places。 But the reality is that things don’t always work out as you’d imagine， and I liked that Rich’s last days with his family weren’t always picture-perfect。 They could be messy and frustrating， and author Harriet Kline does not shy away from the fact your life （and death） doesn’t always work out how you imagined。 Ruth’s battle with depression is a stark look at mental illness too， and we witness the realities of grief and sadness unflinchingly。 I ached for her， as she struggled to get out of bed or cope with Ollie’s angry outbursts。 Insights into the impact of Rich’s premature death on the wider family （his parents， best friend and mother-in-law） were interesting too， as we see the different way that each one respond to his passing。 Although This Shining Life is a beautiful look at grief， loss and love， something was missing for me。 I can’t quite put my finger on what it was， but it took me ages to read， and I felt as though I was a little disconnected from the plot and characters。 The only character I truly adored was Rich – and without him， I found my interest waned。 Perhaps this is a compliment， in a way？ If I as a reader missed him， then the true extent of his family’s loss is unimaginable。 This Shining Life didn’t quite hit the spot for me， but nonetheless， I’d still recommend it。 It is a poignant， devastating look at grief – but， alike to life itself， it also has moments of light， hope and joy too。 A three star rating from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more

Kathy ，

Trigger warnings: cancer death， autism， mental health， and dysfunctional families。Rich loves laughter and fun; the kind of guy who always sees the glass as half full， filled with good stuff， and more on the way！ When he dies far too young of a brain tumor， he leaves behind his wife， Ruth; 11 year old son， Ollie; his parents Marjorie and Gerald; his sister-in-law， Nessie; and his mother-in-law， Angram。The story is told from the POV of all of the above characters， told in three time frames - befor Trigger warnings: cancer death， autism， mental health， and dysfunctional families。Rich loves laughter and fun; the kind of guy who always sees the glass as half full， filled with good stuff， and more on the way！ When he dies far too young of a brain tumor， he leaves behind his wife， Ruth; 11 year old son， Ollie; his parents Marjorie and Gerald; his sister-in-law， Nessie; and his mother-in-law， Angram。The story is told from the POV of all of the above characters， told in three time frames - before Rich's prognosis is received， after his prognosis is given to his loved ones （he didn't want to know it）， and following his death。For me， Ollie， is the stand-out character。 So at sea in the world because he's on the autism spectrum and doesn't understand much of the talk， feelings， and happenings going on around him， he nevertheless struggles mightily throughout the book to figure out the answer to the puzzle he is sure his dad meant for him to solve: what does it mean to be alive？As Ollie is focused on that， we come to know Ruth， her sister， Nessa， and their mother， Angram。 The girls have always been close to each other， and emotionally distant from their mother。 The reasons for this are disclosed throughout the story。Rich's parents， Marjorie and Gerald， loved their son deeply and he returned that love， but they had limited contact with his family at Rich's request。 Now that their son is gone， they struggle with their grief and whether they can find a place again in his family。Ms。 Kline's characters are all flawed， and all grieving， each in his/her own way。 As they work through their grief， they have the chance to come to terms with past events， and possibly grow as they heal。 Can they put the past behind them and move forward？ Will Ollie ever solve his puzzle？This was an ok read， but a bit uneven for me。 I found myself looking forward to Ollie's chapters much more than those of the other characters。My thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for allowing me to read a review copy of this novel， which was published on 6/22/21。 All opinions （and any errors） expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more

smalltownbookmom ，

3。5 rounded up - I was really looking forward to this book about Rich， a British man who gets diagnosed with a brain tumor and only has months to live。 Told in alternating POVs from Rich， his wife， Ruth， their son Ollie， who is on the spectrum as well as their extended family members - this book covers a number of heavy issues as the characters deal with their grief over the loss of the man they all loved。 As a brain tumor survivor myself， I really connected with Rich， especially with his love o 3。5 rounded up - I was really looking forward to this book about Rich， a British man who gets diagnosed with a brain tumor and only has months to live。 Told in alternating POVs from Rich， his wife， Ruth， their son Ollie， who is on the spectrum as well as their extended family members - this book covers a number of heavy issues as the characters deal with their grief over the loss of the man they all loved。 As a brain tumor survivor myself， I really connected with Rich， especially with his love of cheese and his deep love of life and his family。 What I didn't love so much about this book was how many different perspectives there were。 I felt the author tried to do too much instead of focusing on just a few characters。 Ruth grapples with a deep-seated depression after her husband's death （something that runs in her family）， while still trying to be there for her son， who is struggling to find meaning in life after losing his dad。 Rich's mother is not just trying to support her daughter in law and grandson but trying to do right by her husband who is suffering from worsening dementia and needing more care than she can give。 In addition， Ruth's sister and mom are also working through their own issues and grief。 It all gets to be a little much and in my opinion this book would have been stronger with a few fewer perspectives。 Overall very well written and tackles hard topics but I wanted more （or rather less）。 Recommended for people who enjoy stories about families dealing with loss and grief in their own different ways and great on audio with a full cast of narrators。 Thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy！ 。。。more

Lori L （She Treads Softly） ，

This Shining Life by Harriet Kline is a highly recommended poignant family drama。When Rich dies from brain cancer his family must learn to deal with grief and each other。 The novel is written with short chapters that are from the different points-of-view of Rich's wife Ruth， son Ollie （almost eleven）， sister-in-law Nessa， mother-in-law Angran， mother Marjorie， and father Gerald。 Ollie is on the autism spectrum， and he misses his dad who provided stability for him and could help him understand th This Shining Life by Harriet Kline is a highly recommended poignant family drama。When Rich dies from brain cancer his family must learn to deal with grief and each other。 The novel is written with short chapters that are from the different points-of-view of Rich's wife Ruth， son Ollie （almost eleven）， sister-in-law Nessa， mother-in-law Angran， mother Marjorie， and father Gerald。 Ollie is on the autism spectrum， and he misses his dad who provided stability for him and could help him understand the world。 After his dad dies， he is determined to solve the puzzle he thinks his dad left for him that will explain what it means to be alive。Ruth is grieving and struggling with depression。 Rich brought joy to her life and she depended on him。 Nessa， who was friends with Rich before introducing him to Ruth， is also grieving but must try to help Ruth and handle her indomitable mother Angran， who is not only a force to be reckoned with but also deals with depression and repressed anger。 Marjorie wants to mourn her son and have a relationship with her grandson， but Gerald is sinking into dementia and makes life even more challenging and difficult。 Angran doesn't help as she steadfastly steps in-between them。 All of them are dealing with numerous emotions and reactions to Rich's death。Although all the characters are given room for their voices， Ollie is the heart of the novel since his are the only chapter's written in the first person。 He is greatly concerned with solving his father's puzzle， the answer to what it means to be alive， but no one seems to be listening or understanding what he is saying。 They also seem to be forgetting that he also is grieving。 The puzzle focuses on the special gifts his dad picked out and chose for everyone before he died。 Ollie was given a pair of binoculars so he could focus on things。 Now he is sure he needs to determine what connects all the gifts to solve the puzzleA novel about a grieving family is naturally going to be sad， but Kline also shows how members were trying to help in their own ways。 The result is a beautifully written novel about loss， endurance， sorrow， love， and acceptance as a family tries to navigate their journey in grieving and life。 The short chapters and even pacing help propel the novel along。 Ollie's obsession does become a bit tiresome and repetitive， but that is also indicative of being on the spectrum and how he deals with his emotions。 All of the characters are portrayed as complex， unique individuals with unique voices。 This character driven， poignant family drama is a fine debut novel。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more

Kindle Worm ，

Ollie’s father has died， much too young leaving a family in turmoil。  Each struggling to come to grips with his death。  Told in the many voices of his wife， his mother and father， his mother in law， his sister in law and his eleven year old autistic son， each tells the story of their own pain。  While the rest of the family is struggling， Ollie is looking for the meaning of life。  He loves puzzles and he’s sure his dad left one for him to figure out with the last gifts that he sent to everyone。   Ollie’s father has died， much too young leaving a family in turmoil。  Each struggling to come to grips with his death。  Told in the many voices of his wife， his mother and father， his mother in law， his sister in law and his eleven year old autistic son， each tells the story of their own pain。  While the rest of the family is struggling， Ollie is looking for the meaning of life。  He loves puzzles and he’s sure his dad left one for him to figure out with the last gifts that he sent to everyone。  Each  character is flawed and so many times Ollie gets the short end of the stick。 The scenes of Richard’s illness and death are so very real。  We are left with hope and optimism as we reach the end as healing begins to take place， but a book that was quite heart wrenching and for me a difficult read。 Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 。。。more

Teresa Cornelius ，

This Shining Life by Harriet KlineThis is a fascinating novel about grief and the different ways in which people respond to it。 Rich is a young， fun-loving father of an autistic son， Ollie， but Rich is then diagnosed with a brain tumour。 When given the diagnosis he plans to send all of his loved ones a special gift and it is these gifts which form the puzzle which Ollie seeks to solve。Ruth， Rich’s wife， is beset by depression and finds herself sinking under the weight of her despair。 She is surr This Shining Life by Harriet KlineThis is a fascinating novel about grief and the different ways in which people respond to it。 Rich is a young， fun-loving father of an autistic son， Ollie， but Rich is then diagnosed with a brain tumour。 When given the diagnosis he plans to send all of his loved ones a special gift and it is these gifts which form the puzzle which Ollie seeks to solve。Ruth， Rich’s wife， is beset by depression and finds herself sinking under the weight of her despair。 She is surrounded by those who think they know what is best for her。 Her mother wants to take control and look after her and Ollie。 Her sister is determined she must drag herself out of her despair。 Meanwhile Other Grandma， Marjorie， and Gerald struggle with his onset of dementia whilst they strive to cope with the death of their beloved son。All the characters are extremely well drawn and although this is an achingly sad book in parts there are also moments of joy。 The description of Ollie’s fears and obsessions are beautifully conveyed and you can feel the anguish that each step in a pair of uncomfortable socks would cause。Many thanks to the author， the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

BookwormishMe ，

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe。com today。Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster。 Ruth and Rich met through Ruth’s sister， Nessa。 They’ve been married just about forever and have a son， Ollie， who seems to be autistic。 Rich has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor。 A brain tumor too large to treat。 The only option is palliative care。 Hence the emotional roller coaster。How do you figure out a way to make someone’s last days on earth perfect？ Ruth just wants Rich 4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe。com today。Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster。 Ruth and Rich met through Ruth’s sister， Nessa。 They’ve been married just about forever and have a son， Ollie， who seems to be autistic。 Rich has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor。 A brain tumor too large to treat。 The only option is palliative care。 Hence the emotional roller coaster。How do you figure out a way to make someone’s last days on earth perfect？ Ruth just wants Rich to enjoy every last day。 Nessa wants to make sure that every item on Rich’s bucket list is accomplished。 Ollie believes that his dad wants him to solve a puzzle。 And then there are the parents， Ruth’s mother Angran who believes it is her job to make sure that Ruth isn’t traumatized further; and Marjorie and Gerald， Rich’s parents are just barely hanging on。 The story flip flops between several different time periods， but with the ability to easily determine when it is。 Each chapter is told by a different person， so that we get to capture each person’s reactions and emotions surrounding a horrible diagnosis。 As well as coping with the tragedy ahead of them， each character also makes some realizations about themselves。 Although there is a lot of pain and tragedy in the novel， there is also a lot of joy and celebration。 It makes you think about life in a completely different aspect。 。。。more

Darla ，

Ollie needs to answer this question: "How will I ever know， then， that it means to be alive？" When Ollie's father Rich was dying due to a brain tumor， a list of gifts for friends and family was made。 Each gift was chosen very carefully and thoughtfully。 Binoculars for Ollie （to help him focus）。 A pink vase for Other Grandma （Rich's mother）。 A Bohemian necklace for Aunt Nessa （sister of Ollie's mother Ruth）。 And so on。 After Rich's death， Ollie discovers the list and it becomes his mission to fin Ollie needs to answer this question: "How will I ever know， then， that it means to be alive？" When Ollie's father Rich was dying due to a brain tumor， a list of gifts for friends and family was made。 Each gift was chosen very carefully and thoughtfully。 Binoculars for Ollie （to help him focus）。 A pink vase for Other Grandma （Rich's mother）。 A Bohemian necklace for Aunt Nessa （sister of Ollie's mother Ruth）。 And so on。 After Rich's death， Ollie discovers the list and it becomes his mission to find out what these gifts were meant to teach him about life。 Since Ollie is autistic， this challenge becomes an obsession。 The surviving family members， caught up in their own grief and other dysfunctional dynamics， seem to disregard Ollie's project。 Will they understand in time to help Ollie answer his question？ Told in a range of perspectives and in diverging timelines， this is about the beauty of life and family。 There is hope。Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=This Shining Life

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=This Shining Life&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,This Shining Life&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0