When We Were Widows: a story of mothers and daughters and the journey of grief

When We Were Widows by Annette Chavez Macias is a story of grief, secrets and the power in moving forward. When her husband passed away six months ago, Yesica Diaz-Taylor thought she was handling her grief well; however an incident at work forces her to think twice. Her boss forces her to take a leave of absence and attend a support group, Yesica decides to just go through the motions, anything to get back to work. What she wasn’t expecting was that her widowed mother, Ana, and her grandmother, Mama Melda, needed to stay with her as their house was being repaired. The arrangement will test their already strained relationship. With unresolved tensions following them, Yesica, Ana and Imelda learn to share a home, their heartbreak and finally reveal the family secrets in order to overcome their grief, anger and find a new strength. 

When We Were Widows is a heartfelt story about grief; however, it is also about mothers and daughters and the secrets they keep from each other. At the beginning of the story, Yesica was not my favorite character. I found her to be too harsh and cruel. However, I grew to love her as she began to reveal her secrets and talk about the hurts she has been hiding. Yesica also learns that she and her mother have a lot more in common than she thought. I also enjoyed Ana’s transformation to finding her life in pursuing a dream long put aside. I loved Mama Melda as the wise grandmother who bridges mother and daughter together with tough love and a few laughs. The three women are surrounded by wonderful characters who help them on their new paths. I highly recommend When We Were Widows. 

When We Were Widows is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook