I spent my 11th wedding anniversary planning my husband's funeral. If I could just figure out how to make that rhyme, it would be the beginning of a great country song.

Involuntarily single. That's the true story of where Catherine Tidd found herself just three weeks after turning thirty-one. With three children under six years old, no fix-it skills, no clue how to live life as a widow and coping with grief after the death of her spouse, Catherine couldn't help but be a little exasperated with her dead husband for leaving her to deal with life on her own.

Catherine found herself in charge of her life in a way she never wanted to be, in a way that would have most of us reeling and numb. But she soon realized that when you call the shots, you can make pedicures one of the stages of grief—and that moving forward might be more fun in a new sports car. Her honest Confessions of a Mediocre Widow is not your typical book on grief and loss of a spouse, but rather a glimpse into the heartbreaking and sometimes humorous world of a young woman who learns that overcoming grief and healing after loss is possible, and that you can find joy in an unexpected life.

Praise for Confessions of a Mediocre Widow:

"Heartfelt and surprisingly humorous memoir...an ultimately uplifting story, and thanks to Tidd's keen sense of humor her tale never becomes maudlin...Widowers and other readers will find inspiration and useful advice in her candid story." —Publishers Weekly

"This was the only helpful book that I have read about becoming and being a widow. I found myself laughing and listening to Tidd as I would listen to a friend telling her story; she has a voice that is compelling, a story that is real and a book that is an invaluable addition to grief memoirs. " —Bitter/Sweet

"With wit and good humor, Tidd looks back on the time immediately following her husband's death with charming self-deprecation at her seeming inability to be a good widow. Through this, she shows readers that there is no "right way" to grieve. " —Library Journal