He does, but they are not all good: Tell Me Good Things

On Love, Death, and Marriage

by James Runcie

#TellMeGoodThings #NetGalley

I have long been a fan of James Runcie. The Grantchester books and the TV series are true favorites for me. The Road to Grantchester is a novel that I thought was excellent and ranks high on my list of all time favorites. So, when I saw that Runcie had a new book coming out, I very much wanted to read it and when I received an e galley approval, I was overjoyed.

This is a beautiful book about a relationship, an illness, a death, growing up, having life change without one’s consent and knowing that grief transforms a person for ever. Its title comes from one on Runcie’s wife Marilyn’s favorite phrases.

In these pages, Runcie shares how his life changed when Marilyn was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease and subsequently died. Grief fills the pages but so does the couple’s earlier relationship as both Runcie and his wife become known to the reader in a generous sharing on the author’s part.

Some people write extremely movingly about grief. Think of Joan Didion or C.S. Lewis and then add Runcie to that list.

This book has received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 February 2023