TWO KISSES FOR MADDY

Within hours of giving birth, Liz Logelin died of a pulmonary blood clot, leaving her husband Matt as sole caretaker of their daughter Madeline.

From their first meeting in 1996, they experienced a story-book romance and were blessed with close family and friends, good jobs and a new home. With their first child on the way, things began to fall apart when Liz became so nauseated that she couldn't keep food down and began to lose weight. This affected their unborn child, who was being starved of nutrients. There were other complications, as well. As a result, Liz went on bed rest and was then hospitalized, and the premature delivery of the baby seven weeks before its due date became necessary. Faced with a double calamity—his wife's death and a premature infant to care for—Matt wondered how he could manage. While friends and family rallied around him and his employer gave him generous paid leave of absence, he was completely unprepared for the responsibilities of single-parenthood. The author writes movingly of how his grief mingled with joy as his tiny infant thrived under his care and he began to piece his life back together. Seven months later, with Maddy in day care, he returned to work. Gradually, through the Internet, he met and bonded with others in similar circumstances, and he continued to maintain close ties with his friends and relatives.

A tender memoir that combines the deep sadness of loss with the joys of parenthood even under incredibly trying circumstances.