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On September 11, 2001, Marian Fontana lost her husband, Dave, a firefighter from the elite Squad 1 in Brooklyn, in the World Trade Center attack. A Widow's Walk begins that fateful morning, when Marian, a playwright and comedienne, became a widow, a single mother, and an unlikely activist.

Two weeks after 9/11, the city attempted to close Squad 1, which had suffered the loss of twelve men. Known for her feisty spirit and passionate loyalty, Marian, who was still reeling from her profound loss, began to mobilize the neighborhood to keep the firehouse open. From this unlikely platform the 9/11 Widows and Victims' Families Association grew. Over the next twelve months, Marian struggled with the tragedy's endless ripple effects, from the minute and deeply personal -- she wonders who will play Star Wars with her son, Aidan, and carry him on his shoulders; to the collective: she works to get families and widows necessary information about the recovery effort and attends private meetings with Governor Pataki, Mayor Giuliani, Senator Clinton, and Mayor Bloomberg.

Through it all, Marian's irrepressible humor is her best armor, as well as evidence of her buoyant strength. Written with great heart and humanity, A Widow's Walk is a timely opportunity for remembrance and a timeless testament to love's loss and the resilience of the human spirit.

Average Customer Rating:

Tearful memories	Customer Rating:
As a wife of a retired firefighter and mother of two firefighters (one also a police officer), this book really hit home. I think I cried the whole way through. The way the story was told made me feel I really knew the family and I felt heartbreak as well that this wonderful man was taken from his family and friends and how courageous his wife was to continue on without him.

Love and Grief, Intertwined

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Marian Fontana lost her husband, Dave, on what should have been their eighth wedding anniversary. Instead of spending the day with her husband, laughing and celebrating, she watched in disbelief and horror as the World Trade Center came down - she knew in that instant that the love of her life and the father of her child was dead. What follows is a year in which she struggles through every emotion imaginable. She is hollowed out with grief, and at times, wants to join Dave and leave all her troubles behind. She is expected to be a loving and patient mom to a little boy who has lost his Daddy and who is too young to understand, and she is angry. Angry at the monsters who slammed into the buildings, angry at the endless red tape and bureaucracy that tangles her days and fills her inbox and, occasionally, furious with Dave for leaving her to run into the Towers. He and the other 342 firefighters who ran in saved more than 25,000 people that morning, but he left Marian and Aidan behind to do so. The most painful, and truthful, section for me to read was the one when she cursing Dave for leaving her alone when he promised that they would grow old together. I was grateful for her honesty in sharing her anger with the rest of us. Marian channeled her grief into an organization for the widows and family members of those lost on that murderous day, and her life has taken a turn that she couldn't have imagined, and didn't want. She is a gifted writer, and one who is brutally honest about the stupidity she is facing and the pain she cannot escape. This is what truly matters about 9-11. The politics and the "who knew what when" are important, sure. But what it boils down to, and what matters deep in one's soul, are the thousands of love stories that were interrupted. Love stories just like this one. It is our blessing that Marian Fontana is gifted enough to put it on the page. Thanks to her, her son Aidan will never forget who his father was, and now, none who read this book will, either.

Absolutely heart wrenching

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the first half or three quarters of the book kept me absolutely riveted and hurting with feeling so close to the families and what they suffered through as well as how very brave their firefighter family members were. But about three quarters through, I found myself scanning as there was really more information and details than I really needed or wanted to know. I wish the very best for Marian and Aidan and hope they find happiness. She is one brave lady.

Beautifully Written

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This is an exquisitely written book that I still remember - nearly a year later - as one of the best books I've ever read. The book was heart-rending at times to read, as the author so well expresses her feelings and the pain of losing her husband. It would be nearly impossible to read this book and not feel the depth of her loss - of her husband and the life they lived until 9/11. Marian Fontana is a gifted, talented writer and I wish her story was one with a happy ending for her. While her story is one of loss, it is also one of love, family, friendship and survival. The cover photo haunts me, so well does it depict the love the Fontanas shared. Highly recommended and memorable.

Touching, but without self-pity	Customer Rating:
I bought this book after having heard the author on "This American Life." I was touched by her humor and grace during the radio piece, and was pleasantly surprised by how well-written and un-put-downable this book is. Check out the radio story before you decide to buy the book, if you like; the book doesn't tell the George W. story, so there's no spoiler there.