The Apple of My Eye: when her husband decides, a wife realizes she may not have known him at all

The Apple of My Eye by Mary Ellen Bramwell is the story of one woman’s journey through grief and doubt as she wonders if she really knew her husband at all. Brea Cass is awoken late one night by a phone call, notifying her that her husband, Paul Cass, was in an accident and on his way to the hospital. By the time she arrives at the hospital, Paul has died. Brea learns her husband as at a 24-hour grocery store when two masked men came in to rob the story. Paul stepped in front of an elderly customer and was shot. Brea is confused as he should have been at his job at a local hotel on the other side of town. She quickly learns that Paul has been hiding things from her. Now alone with their infant son, Brea begins to doubt everything she knew about Paul. Why did he lie about work? What else has he lied about? Did he truly love her?

The late-night phone call is every person’s worst nightmare. No one calls late at night with good news. The Apple of My Eye was an easy read as the story quickly jumps from Paul’s death to the aftermath and day-to-day learning to live again that Brea must do to survive. I found the characters too good to be true and the plot too farfetched. No one, especially Brea, really went through the stages of grief, especially with a sudden death like Paul’s. It almost read like a Lifetime movie. Brea is met with tragedy, questions her knowledge of who her husband was and starts retracing his moments. Then after a few months, the investigation in his death is complete and her doubts are all erased, everything is good again. The Apple of My Eye was not a bad book, but it wasn’t an amazing “You must read this!” kind of book.

The Apple of My Eye

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.