THE DEATH OF A LOVED one, of a wife who you had planned to spend the rest of your life with, growing old and watching your children mature into adults is the premise of Rush's novel, a memoir of despair, desolation but ultimately a rewarding story of the author's reawakening.
Having lost his wife to breast cancer, Rush relives his struggles as his world falls apart.
Nearly a year after his wife's passing, Rush attempts to reclaim his sanity by following in the footsteps of fellow Scot, Robert Louis Stevenson to France and find a reason to live.
To Travel Hopefully acts as a cathartic tale of the author's struggle from dealing with his loss and shouldering the responsibility of bringing up two children, as well as keeping some semblance of normality in his life.
It is a memoir of grief and recovery, portrayed in personal language interspersing poetry and the native language in the narrative to highlight his moods.
Anyone who has had to confront the subject matter will find the narrative challenging, but rewarding.
To Travel Hopefully: Journal of a Death Not Foretold by Christopher Rush is published by Profile Books, priced £15.99.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article