It Must Have Been Moonglow ─ Reflections on the First Years of Widowhood

In December 1998, after fifty-six years of marriage, Phyllis Greene went from being part of the lifelong unit of PhyllisandBob to being just plain Phyllis. As a way of coping with her feelings, she began keeping a journal. She realized her own reflections could speak to the thousands of women like her, each one with very different yet in some ways very similar day-to-day experiences. It Must Have Been Moonglow chronicles the emotional roller-coaster of her experience in a collection of brief essays—like diary entries—that capture the sadness, the humor, and the triumphs all widows encounter. She writes with wit and insight about negotiating the logistics of an evening out with a group of single older women, none of whom drive very well; about handling the check when going to dinner with a couple; about grocery shopping for one; and about the miracle of friendships on the Internet and the blessings of family.

With a new final section featuring readers’ letters describing their own experiences of widowhood, It Must Have Been Moonglow is an intimate, candid, and engaging book—not about grief but about inspiration and strength.

Phyllis Greene is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley College. She has had a lifelong involvement in her community, having served as chairman of the board of trustees of Franklin University as well as chairman of the Columbus Metropolitan Airport and Aviation Commission. She is the mother of Bob Greene, the syndicated columnist and author; D. G. Fulford, author and journalist; and Tim Greene, a real estate executive. She lives in Columbus, Ohio.


From the Hardcover edition.