Community Corner
Mystic Author Pens "After the Loss of a Spouse: From Henry VIII to Julia Child"
Author Lisa Saunders is also a talk show host and history interpreter at Mystic Seaport. The official book launch is in June.
East Lyme, Conn.—Act II Publications, LLC, just released the second book in its “After the Loss of a Spouse” series. The new book, “After the Loss of a Spouse: Henry VIII to Julia Child” by Mystic author Lisa Saunders, examines the bittersweet human condition of love and loss though the lens of history.
By learning how these famous (and infamous) people managed their lives after the loss of a spouse, we come to realize the potential that exists in all of us. Anyone who loves a romantic history lesson will be intrigued by this book. Perfect for individuals and for groups. Includes questions for discussion.
Book Launch Information
The public is invited to celebrate the book launch and honor International Widow’s Day. The book launch will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 23, at A Taste of New England, 12 Steamboat Wharf, Mystic.
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
The widow and widowers featured in “After the Loss of a Spouse: From Henry VIII to Julia Child” include:
- Mark Twain
- George Palmer Putnam (Amelia Earhart’s widower)
- C.S. Lewis
- Henry VIII
- Martha Washington
- Norman Rockwell
- George Burns
- Julia Child
- Mary Todd Lincoln
- Grandma Moses
- Milton Hershey (Hershey's Kisses)
- Coretta Scott King
- Captain von Trapp (of The Sound of Music)
- Hetty Green (world's greatest miser)
- Katharine Graham (of The Washington Post)
- William Gillette (aka Sherlock Holmes)
- Frances Wolfe Sisson (widow of Mystic, Connecticut, sea captain who perished in one of Texas’s worst maritime disasters)
- Abby Day Slocomb (widow behind Connecticut State flag design sent recently opened time capsule from Europe during WWI)
"Lisa Saunders has written another fine piece of historically-based literature," David S. Martin, Professor/Dean Emeritus at Gallaudet University said in his review. "Based on a unique and previously uncovered topic in history, this work encompasses a broad span of time and shows clearly the commonalities, as well as uniquenesses, of these stories about the famous. How they handled their loss, their guilt, and in some cases a plan for a future without their spouses, makes fascinating reading for anyone with interest in both the history and the human side of well-known figures."
About the Author
Lisa Saunders is an award-winning writer and TV talk show host residing in Mystic, Connecticut. A graduate of Cornell University, she is the author of several books and works as a part-time history interpreter at Mystic Seaport. Click here to visit Lisa Saunders' website.
Upcoming book events include:
Talk: "Tales of Famous Connecticut Widow's Walks"
- Friday, August 12, 7:45 p.m.
- Free and open to the public
- Mystic River Yacht Club (next to Engine Room restaurant), 14 Holmes Street, Mystic, CT 06355, (More info: amarfoster@gmail.com, 860 536-0066)
Lisa Saunders, author of “After the Loss of a Spouse: From Henry VIII to Julia Child” with discuss famous widows and widowers with Connecticut ties such as Amelia Earhart’s widower, George Palmer Putnam (married in Noank); Mark Twain, who had a lot to say about Mystic; the widow behind the Connecticut State flag design, Abby Day Slocomb, who enclosed a challenge in a 100-year-old time capsule sent from Europe during WWI to Groton; William Gillette (a.k.a Sherlock Holmes) of Gillette's Castle in East Haddam; and the Guinness World Record Holder for "Greatest Miser," Hetty Green, who is connected to the last surviving wooden whaleship in the world, the Charles W. Morgan, at Mystic Seaport.
Talk: "After the Loss" Self-Improvement Series
- Wednesday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m.
- Free and open to the public
- Bank Square Books, 2nd floor, 53 W Main St, Mystic, CT 06355 (More info: www.banksquarebooks.com, (860) 536-3795, events@mysticbooksinc.com)
Authors Lisa Saunders and Dr. Joanne Z. Moore will discuss lifestyle options after the loss of a spouse. Saunders will tell stories of historic figures with Connecticut connections such as Amelia Earhart's widower and Mark Twain, while Dr. Moore will present modern strategies for developing a new philosophy of life after the disappointment of loss. Saunders and Dr. Moore are authors of the books, "After the Loss of a Spouse, Henry VIII to Julia Child" and "After the Loss of a Spouse: What's Next?" respectively.
The first book in the “After the Loss of a Spouse” series is “After the Loss of a Spouse: What's Next?” by Dr. Joanne Z. Moore. She is editor of the digital magazine, Pathfinder: A Companion Guide for the Widow/er’s Journey and owner of Shoreline Physical Therapy, LLC, in East Lyme, Connecticut.
(Photo by Cindy Barry)
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