Books › Twelfth Angel
Twelfth Angel
First published 1993 · 184 pages
A quiet, emotionally heavy journey through the darkest valleys of grief, searching for a glimmer of hope on a small-town baseball diamond.
What it feels like
Rooted in the quiet domesticity of New Hampshire, this novel offers a deeply earnest and emotionally raw exploration of profound loss. The narrative opens in the suffocating grip of grief and despair, moving at a steady, introspective pace as it navigates the darkest corners of mourning and suicidal ideation. Yet, beneath the heavy, melancholic atmosphere lies a steady pulse of hope, anchored by the unexpected salvation found in community and Little League baseball. The prose is direct and unadorned, focusing entirely on the internal emotional landscape of surviving the unimaginable. It is a deeply moving experience tailored for readers who appreciate tear-jerking, character-driven stories about finding a reason to keep living when all seems lost, wrapped in the comforting familiarity of small-town Americana.
- Mood
- melancholic
- introspective
- heavy
- quiet
- Tone
- earnest
- somber
- reflective
- tender
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- navigating profound grief · finding purpose after loss · small-town community · healing through sports
- The writing
- Direct, emotionally raw, and grounded in the quiet realities of domestic life.
- The arc
- Moves from the paralyzing depths of profound grief and despair toward a gradual, community-driven healing.
- Who it's for
- Readers seeking an earnest, tear-jerking story about overcoming devastating loss through unexpected community connections.
Content notes
- grief and mourning
- suicidal ideation
- death of loved ones
About the book
For many days after the funeral I did little when I was out of bed except slump at my desk in the den for countless hours and think about ending my life.
Description from Open Library.
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