These conversational observations and reminiscences are a eulogy, diverse personal reflections written after the sudden death of a loved one. The tragedy itself is not discussed; the book strives to convey the range of feelings attending bereavement as a collateral text, as they are so often concealed or projected in life — the reassessment; the impulsive humour; how at the time all choices seem inopportune; how social and ethical questions reduce to minute details of one’s life; and, especially, the difficulty of dealing directly with the loss.