Learning to Be a Widow

Gwen Romagnoli has written numerous personal essays as well as
travel and food articles for the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the American Express Magazine.
She lived for many years in Italy, but met her Roman husband,
Franco, in the U.S. Together they wrote the book, Italy, the Romagnoli
Way: A Culinary Journey, about lesser-known places in Italy.
Their late-in-life marriage was sadly cut short by Franco’s death.
This book is dedicated to his memory.
“Gwen Romagnoli has written these essays in simple, limpid prose, a style casual and friendly, with a feeling that comes straight from the heart. These brief essays offer rare comfort. Gwen Romagnoli’s Learning to be a Widow is about the little things–everyday objects and events– that connected her deeply to her husband, and how she lives now with these memories. By
speaking so directly about her own experience, she gives solace to others who are making their own hard journey.”
—Eugene Mirabelli, author of Renato, the Painter
“Gwen Romagnoli’s book is about widowhood, but you do not have to be a widow to find pleasure and poignancy in these pages. It is a narrative about love and loss, and finding meaning in relationships, at any age and in any circumstance. Sensitively observed and beautifully written.”
— Jessica Treadway, author of Lacy Eye
“This remarkable book–a love story, really–leads the reader through widowhood with gentleness and compassion. Best of all, although it is a wrenching narrative of loss, the book also offers hope to those who once loved – and hope to love again.”
— Lynne Potts, author of A Block in Time: A History of Boston’s South End
“Writing with brave honesty and generosity of spirit, Gwen Romagnoli is a treasured companion through a harsh terrain. Though her words describe a deeply personal experience, they carry a universality to embrace all who are acquainted with grief.”
— Ellen Steinbaum, poet and contributor to the poetry anthology,
The Widows’ Handbook