What to Do When I’m Gone: A Mother’s Wisdom to Her Daughter

Description

我離開之後：一個母親給女兒的人生指南， 以及那些來不及說的愛與牽掛

獻給全天下的媽媽和女兒
在母親面前，我們永遠都是孩子

美國亞馬遜讀者★★★★★感動推薦
「我想永遠收藏這本讓我哭著大笑的書，也希望永遠都用不上它。」

如果有一天，媽媽突然走了⋯⋯
沒有媽媽的陪伴，誰來提醒我收拾房間？
誰能煮出那熟悉的滋味來安撫我的胃？
當我遇到對象，誰能告訴我他是不是對的人？
誰來幫我面對生孩子的恐懼？我又該如何讓孩子認識外婆？
也許，如果，媽媽可以給我寫本筆記，
教我解決這些大小問題，教我去適應她已離開的事實⋯⋯

插畫家女兒哈莉在某個失眠的夜晚，意識到母親總有一天會比自己先走一步。
她害怕地想像母親死後的各種可能情況，想像她會錯過多少重要的時刻。
隔天早上，她要求母親蘇西寫一本「媽媽離世指南」給她，逐步指導她如何度過沒有母親陪伴的日子，
包括「煮一鍋咖哩治療心碎」、「想念我時唱一首歌」，或是「記得對自己的身體好一點」。
母親蘇西幽默又機智的文字，搭配哈莉真摯而強烈的插圖，讓這本書成了最棒的人生禮物。
每一位讀者看了都淚眼汪汪又哈哈大笑，深刻體會愛與失去，記得珍惜和心愛的人相處的每個時刻。

A mother’s advice to her daughter–a guide to daily living, both practical and sublime–with full-color illustrations throughout.

One sleepless night while she was in her early twenties, illustrator/writer Hallie Bateman had a painful realization: her mom would die, and after she died she would be gone. The prospect was devastating, and also scary–how would she navigate the world without the person who gave her life? She thought about all the motherly advice she would miss–advice that could help her through the challenges to come, including the ordeal of losing a parent.

The next day, Hallie asked her mother, writer Suzy Hopkins, to record step-by-step instructions for her to follow in the event of her mom’s death. The list began: “Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey and make some fajitas” and continued from there, walking Hallie through the days, months, and years of life after loss, with motherly guidance and support, addressing issues great and small–from choosing a life partner to baking a quiche. The project became a way for mother and daughter to connect with humor, openness, and gratitude. It led to this book.

Combining Suzy’s wit and heartfelt advice with Hallie’s quirky and colorful style, What to Do When I’m Gone is the illustrated instruction manual for getting through life without one’s mom. It’s also a poignant look at loss, love, and taking things one moment at a time. By turns whimsical, funny, touching, and above all pragmatic, it will leave readers laughing and teary-eyed. And it will spur conversations that enrich family members’ understanding of one another.

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