The Rules of Inheritance

· Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Claire Bidwell Smith
Audiobook
7 hr 36 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

A resonant memoir of the ways untimely good-byes echo through the years by a writer who has considered every nuance of grief.

At age fourteen, Claire Bidwell Smith-an only child- learned that both of her parents had cancer. The fear of becoming a family of one before she came of age compels Claire to make a series of fraught choices, set against the glittering backdrop of New York and Los Angeles - and the pall of regret. When the inevitable happens, and Claire is alone in the world, she is inconsolable at the revelation that suddenly she is no one's special person. It is only when Claire eventually falls in love, marries, and becomes a mother that she emerges from the fog of grief.

Defying a conventional framework, this story is told using the five stages of grief as a window into Smith's experience. As in the very best memoirs, the author's powerful and exquisite writing renders personal events into universal experience.

About the author

Claire Bidwell Smith is the author of The Rules of Inheritance and After This. The Rules of Inheritance has been published in 17 countries and is being adapted for film. Claire has a master's degree in clinical psychology and is a therapist specializing in grief. She regularly teaches writing workshops and gives talks on both writing and grief. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including the Huffington Post, Slate, Salon.com, and BlackBook. She lives in Los Angeles with her two daughters.clairebidwellsmith.com

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