The writing by Quindlen remains sharp. Narrated by 3 people the daughter, best friend and husband this is a story of grief and healing. Everyone does this differently of course but it was interesting to compare. It is hard but then she just feels the need to tie it up maybe a bit too neatly. A year of mourning is essential. ( )

Heartbreaking account of a family's devastation upon the sudden death of Annie, their wife/mother/best friend. Annie dies and everyone's life is upended. Her husband is at odds, and doesn't know how to take care of the children, leaving the older daughter to take on added responsibility for herself and her younger brothers. The best friend, a recovering addict, speaks to the daughter and tells her of the grief she feels over losing Annie. The daughter meets with the school therapist, and through her, starts the healing process. Throughout it all, the family and the friend hear Annie's voice in their heads, reminding them of her and how to behave.
A beautiful book about death and dealing with grief, and learning to heal. ( )

"They were all floating in some in-between where nothing seemed real and nothing seemed right. Waiting for the rest of life, whatever that was, a future that felt like a betrayal."

When Anne “Annie” Fonzheimer Brown, a mother of four in her thirties, dies suddenly, her children, husband and lifelong best friend are left struggling to cope with their loss. Her husband Bill, reeling from the shock of his wife’s sudden demise and drowning in his own grief finds it difficult to juggle his business and family responsibilities, unable to fathom how to address their new reality with his four children - thirteen-year-old Alexandra “Ali”, eleven-year-old Anthony “Ant”, eight-year-old Benjamin “ Benjy”, and six-year-old James “Jamie”. Ali takes it upon herself to hold the family together, assuming the role of an adult to take care of her father and siblings, each of whom is missing their mother in their own way. Annemarie, Annie’s closest friend, who depended on Annie for support during her dark phases, falls back into her destructive habits, struggling to keep her life from hitting rock bottom.

The narrative follows these characters over the course of a year as they navigate life without Annie, whose unconditional love, support and guidance remain a source of strength even though she has passed on.

"Grief was like spring, maybe. You thought you were getting out from under it and then it came roaring back. And getting out from under it felt like forgetting, and forgetting felt like treason."

After Annie by Anna Quindlen is a beautifully penned, evocative character-driven story that explores loss, grief, addiction, family and remembrance. This is a quiet, slow-paced novel written in simple yet elegant prose. The characters are real and relatable, as are their emotions and reactions to the bereavement they experience and the people around them. The narrative is structured in segments covering the seasons of the following year. As her family members and best friend mourn Annie, we are given insight into who Annie was as a person and her dynamic with those around her, through their memories of her. The sub-plots revolving around the main characters add depth to narrative while also allowing us to explore their respective personal journeys over the course of a year. The story features several supporting characters, most of whom have a significant role to play. While shared loss can bring people together, grief also requires individuals to cope with their respective loss in their own space. The author brilliantly captures both these aspects - how grief manifests in different ways and how Annie’s near and dear ones, the adults and her children, gradually learn to move on in her absence, both as a family drawing strength from one another and as individuals with hope and emotional resilience. Needless to say, this is a thought-provoking story that inspires pause and reflection.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on February 27, 2024. ( )

I liked her earlier books but this was boring and trite. Nothing new to make me want to read on. ( )

Anna Quindlen has been my favorite author for many years. Her words speak volumes and truly get me thinking about life's complexities. In the book After Annie, she captured my attention from the first page, and I gave up my Saturday night plans to keep reading. On the surface, After Annie is about a thirty-something mother, Annie Brown, who dies suddenly, leaving her husband to raise four young children. Bill Brown, who runs a plumbing business in a small town, relies on his oldest daughter, Ali, a middle school student, to help him raise the other three. Of course, he has his judgmental mother, Dora, who never liked Annie, which exacerbates his loneliness and despair. There is also Annemarie, Annie's best friend who has an opiate addiction, to weigh in on what Bill should be doing. Then there is Liz Donahue, his high school girlfriend and realtor, whom he taps for romantic support.

Because of Quindlen's ability to focus on family relationships, especially those in a small town, this story delves into the common yet profound feelings that Ali experiences as she strives to cope, preserve memories, and form a friendship like the one her mother had with Annemarie. Ali got to know her mother when she was alive in direct conversations and by processing comments and conversations she overheard. After her mother's death, Ali continues to make connections about her mother's essence. It is incredible to read about her thought processes as she analyzes the people in her family, school, and community. She perceives the quirks of the people in her life with great sensitivity and makes connections that lead to a deeper understanding of humanity.

Annemarie realizes after Annie's death how dependent she had been on her friend. Through her memories and explanations to Annie's children, she relives the memories of what Annie meant to her, first in relapsing into her addiction but then in recognizing the pretenses in her life. Bill also realizes through Annie's "voice in his head" how dependent he had become on Annie. Through the thoughts of Annemarie, Bill, and Ali, Annie, although dead from the book's first pages, becomes the protagonist in the story. Her attributes were probably exaggerated by the people who needed her most. Still, she had a lifelong positive effect on the other main characters and an assortment of minor characters who missed Annie's nurturing and wisdom. ( )