"I wrote this for Alice. Actually, I wrote everything for Alice."
That was the poignant dedication at the front of Tepper Isn't Going Out - the last book Calvin Trillin wrote before the death of his wife Alice in 2001. Alice had been the star of many of Trillin's autobiographical stories and articles, his muse and mentor, as well as the mother of his two children and a brilliant writer and teacher in her own right.
About Alice is his tribute to his much-loved and much-missed wife, friend and partner, and it's just as poignant and heartbreaking as that dedication.
Which isn't to say that it's sentimental; it isn't. Everything about this book is understated, from the plain cover to the emotional tone to the length (it's just over 77 pages). Trillin chooses not to dwell on the details of Alice's death, which was caused by heart problems brought on by chemotherapy from lung cancer - although she was never a smoker - many years earlier.
Instead he writes with great humour, love and restraint about their life together, Alice's tenacity and intelligence, the support she gave him and their life together. It's wonderful to read this account of a truly happy marriage, and sad to realise it's over. Thankfully, this book made me laugh, but it also made me cry, not least at the end. I won't spoil it by quoting any more of Trillin's words for you now, but read them yourself - you won't be sorry.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Like this? Try Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
*DID YOU KNOW?* Calvin Trillin is one of Sara Nelson's most favourite authors, although the book of his she loves best, Floater, is sadly out of print.
