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Reviews of The ABC’s of Widowhood

The Association of Retired Americans recommends the ABC’s of Widowhood as a must-read for widows and widowers who will find much needed comfort by letting author Pat Nowak be an immediate source of help for all the unknowns the future will bring.

In working with our senior members, we know that when a spouse dies, the other partner is instantly alone. Without warning, the surviving spouse is required to make all kinds of decisions and may be totally unprepared to handle personal and family affairs.

Significant help in facing the challenges of widowhood can be found in The ABC’s of Widowhood, a wonderful daily guide written by Pat Nowak to help widows and widowers survive the shock of a spouse’s death.

The author Nowak offers direct, honest and clear counsel and offers step by step emotional and financial advice on how to close one chapter in life and open another. This book can be used over and over again at any stage in life. Pat became a widow when her husband was killed crossing the street. A short time later her house burned to the ground. She knows about overcoming the trials of living alone.

The ABC’s of Widowhood is not a book you will set down and read in a week or two. Instead, Pat Nowak has crafted a how-to-survive manual that will be kept on the coffee table and picked up whenever the survivor is experiencing a bad moment and needs reassurance. To learn more about this book and the author, go to www.abcsofwidowhood.com.

The ARA provides benefits and services intended to enrich the lifestyle of mature Americans age 45 Plus. Among the assistance we offer is endorsements of products or services that can enrich the life style of our members. In this spirit, we do not hesitate in recommending The ABC’s of Widowhood to loyal members such as yourself.

John K. Smith
Association of Retired Americans

Pat has written the most helpful guide for surviving widowhood, I have ever read. The ABC’s of Widowhood is simply done, yet filled with extremely meaningful information and the book makes one of life’s most difficult experiences easier to cope with. Practical and to the point, this is the guidebook to put on your nightstand to pick up when you are in need of some helpful hints to face life. As a counselor, it is difficult to find such supportive information to put into the hands of grief stricken women, yet Ms. Nowak’s easy format will be a benefit over and over as a woman moves through the grieving process. My appreciation to Ms. Nowak for this gift.

Cy Dunlap
L.C.E.S.C. Guidance Counselor

The ABC’s of Widowhood is a comprehensive yet user-friendly guide to coping with the death of a life long companion. As a therapist who has worked with many clients suffering from the trauma of losing a loved one, I found the information straightforward, yet, presented in a very sensitive, caring manner. Often confusion, uncertainty, and a feeling of being totally overwhelmed compound the grieving process. Ms. Nowak’s book will help the reader unravel the mysteries, which will be facing them now and in the future. I strongly recommend this book to any woman coping with the loss of her spouse through death or even divorce.

Vic Steinbach
MSW, CSW

Until death do us part, but no bride and groom thinks this will really happen to her or him. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. The denial of death is a psychological defense without which daily life would be unbearable. Even after the death of a loved one, in the beginning, the feeling of shock and denial is there to protect us from the deepest emotional pain of living, GRIEF.

In over 25 years of practice, grief-counseling cases are by far the most difficult for me and I suspect for most professionals. First of all, our own fear surfaces and our wall of denial thins in the process. Sometimes we even struggle to find those words of comfort but we find them. Comfort and the ultimate acceptance of the death of a husband come through a foundation of multiple resources. I often recommend books and support groups for women as an adjunct to individual counseling. The therapeutic benefits of shared experiences and role models for survival are very powerful for healing.

In The ABC’s of Widowhood, Pat Nowak is the role model women need. She provides an exceptional description of the stages of grief along with supporting secrets for adjustment to the trauma of the death of a husband. A trauma, no woman believes she can survive, let alone fully live again. This book is a definite survival guide for dealing with oneself, children, family, friends and finances. These are critical areas, which she provides both practicality and wisdom.

Marina B. Lung
M.A. Clinical Psychologist

The ABC’s of Widowhood is filled with precious pearls of wisdom. Its greatest value is the healing it brings to the fragile soul of the broken hearted. Every widow needs and deserves this treasure.

Louis A. Tartaglia
MD Author

The Great Wing, a parable Death, especially a sudden death catches many people of guard and learning how to deal with the day-to-day living and financial burdens that often accompany the death of a loved one can be overwhelming. Pat Nowak of Holland knows firsthand how that feels after finding herself suddenly thrust into widowhood. In The ABC’s of Widowhood: a Guide to Life after a Death Mrs. Nowak sets about explaining the questions that women face with the death of a spouse. Arranged in an easy-to-access dictionary format, the book addresses financial and emotional issues.

Holland-Springfield Journal

Pat Nowak, a consultant who worked in Public Relations for Food Town, lost her husband of 27 years to an uninsured driver. Her new book, The ABC’s of Widowhood, draws on that experience and offers women plenty of practical advice for dealing with loss. The book uses familiar language to help widows get a handle on their finances and their emotional health.

Rebecca Golden
City Pages, City Paper

Losing a spouse is always difficult, but Holland resident Pat Nowak has used her experiences to write a how-to guide for coping, appropriately titled The ABC’s of Widowhood. Nowak’s book addresses many of the various problems widows face, such as financial, emotional and psychological issues.

Jen Wood
The Mirror

If you enjoy reading Pat Nowak’s column every week, be sure to pick up her new book, The ABC’s of Widowhood: A Guide to Life after Death. Facing the life-altering event of becoming a widow, Nowak set about to write a book that provided direct, honest and succinct answers to the questions that widows face. The book is arranged in an easy-to-access dictionary format where one can look up the answers, by topics as the questions arise.

Lauren Holden
Editor, Herald Newspapers

Pat Nowak could have written a country song about what happened to her, but she wrote a book. That book, The ABC’s of Widowhood, will help others cope with the frightening changes brought on by the death of a spouse. The book is written as if Pat were talking to you over a cup of coffee. It’s simple and straightforward. She touches a variety of issues, rather than delving deeply into one issue. Nowak uses a dictionary approach to dispense practical advice borne from first-hand experience. More than 100 pages are dedicated to these common words associated with widowhood. Another part of the book includes advice from experts on funerals insurance, social security, veteran’s benefits investments and estate planning.

John Szozda
Editor, The Press

Many persons in grief move through the process toward re-involvement in life similar to what they were doing before the death; others are inspired to creativity and new ventures. After trying to read about widowhood, Pat Nowak found it possible to categorize some of what she and other widows have suffered, endured, and triumphed above. The result is a useful directory for a new widow to consult about the great impact, and even the tiniest aspects of grief, with a sensitive but brief discussion of each topic. With careful thought, she has managed to include everything from Alone to Unbearable, with emphasis on what helps most: maintaining a balance, relying on water, energy, faith, and even finding moments of joy! The little book is simple to use, need not be read in its entirety to be valuable, and would be an inspirational gift for a friend in grief.

Paula Elliott
Bereavement Specialist, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh,

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