Widows Wear Stilettos: A Practical and Emotional Guide for the Young Widow

by Carole Brody Fleet, Syd Harriet

Overview

Widowhood is a frightening prospect for any woman, but becoming a widow in one's forties, thirties, or twenties can be terrifying. Widows Wear Stilettos deals sensitively with the many problems and questions facing the young widow: depression and grief, helping children cope, facing in-laws, and returning to work. The authors also address practical concerns including financial considerations and personal issues such as health, self-awareness, diet, and exercise. This reassuring book shows how a life that feels at an end can begin anew.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780882823614
Publisher:	New Horizon Press
Publication date:	11/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	605 KB

About the Author

Carole Brody Fleet is the owner and founder of www.WidowsWearStilettos.com as well as a popular motivational speaker and a coach for widows and caregivers. She has been featured in: Psychology Today, The Houston Chronicle, More, Cosmopolitan, Military Officer, Philadelphia Daily News and Orange County Register. She is a contributing expert to the Hartford Courant and Boston Metro News. Fleet holds a Certificate in Paralegal Studies and Legal Assistantship from the Paralegal Institute of Arizonia.

Syd Harriet, Ph.D., Psy.D.,has two doctorates, one in interpersonal and family communication and the second in clinical psychology with an emphasis on behavioral medicine. Syd has been a full time professor for more than twenty years teaching strategies for grieving. He has been in private practice since 1983, has written numerous articles bereavement and conducts monthly workshops and seminars offering support strategies for coping with divorce, loss of a loved one, friend, health, home or pet.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 There's a Light at the end of the Tunnel (And Trust Me, It's Not An Oncoming Train) 5

2 People Say the Dumbest Things (Or: "You Did Not Just Say That!") 15

3 Thinking "Inside the Box" (For a Change) 25

4 Your "Healing Timeline" Vs. Everyone Else's "Healing Timeline" 35

5 Who is That Girl in the Mirror? (And How to Find You Again) 51

6 Fueling and Energizing (Diet and Exercise) 65

7 The "Business" of Widowhood (Or: The "Wherefores" and "What Nows" of Paperwork) 81

8 When Both Mommy and Daddy... Are You (...Or So You Think) 99

9 The "Firsts"-Part I (On the Calendar) 117

10 The "Firsts"-Part II (Definitely Not on the Calendar!) 127

11 First Love... (Or Plugging Holes?) 145

12 "Now You'll Have Closure" (And Other Myths Laid to Rest) 157

13 B-U-L-L or Y-E-E-H-A-H (The Choice is Yours) 167

14 To Remarry or Not to Remarry? (That Indeed is the Question!) 183

15 Welcome to the Rest of Your Life (And Other Parting Thoughts) 197

Epilogue 213

Acknowledgments 215

Recommended Reading and Additional Resources 221

What People are Saying About This

Deborah Roberts

"Carole Brody Fleet is changing the face and style of widowhood. It's a very unique look at an unusual problem these days that is affecting a lot of women."--(Deborah Roberts, Correspondent, ABC News', "Good Morning America Now")

Editorial Reviews

[The] author has created a wise and practical guide for young widows on how to recover, cope, heal, and find a fulfilling life.

Orange Coast Magazine

Carole Brody Fleet offers advice and humor in the book,' Widows Wear Stilettos . . . ' to help young widows cope with loss.

The Orange County Register

A young widow holds out a helping hand to others who have lost their husbands

The San Diego Union-Tribune

Widows Wear Stilettos' " is a must for anyone who has faced the tragedy of losing a spouse

Midwest Book Review

Mourning and depression give way to 'Widows Wear Stilettos . . . '; a touching and funny memoir

The Monterey County Herald

Motivational speaker and coach Fleet, who was widowed at 40 and has since made numerous guest appearances on television and radio, offers a guide for women who have also experienced the loss of a partner at a young age. Fleet's presentation is frank and interspersed with bits of honest humor. The text is easy to read, with charts and tips sprinkled throughout. Fleet, with psychotherapist Harriet, provides information on how to organize details such as funeral arrangements, wills, social security, and insurance at a time when organization is the last thing a new widow may want to face. She discusses emotional, physical, and spiritual health and finishes by focusing on living the rest of your life. This is a book about hope, and women will want to read it and share it with others, regardless of marital status or age. An essential addition to every public library.
—Melody Ballard

Library Journal