Review: Two Kisses For Maddy by Matthew Logelin

Title: Two Kisses For Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love
Author: Matthew Logelin
Genre/Audience: Memoir, non-fiction, adult
Publication: 2011
Source: Library

On March 24, 2008, Matt and Liz welcomed their first child, Madeline, into the world. Just 27 hours later, Liz died of a pulmonary embolism in the hosptial without ever holding her baby, who was premature and in an incubator.

Matt fell apart. Liz was his high school sweetheart, and they had been together for over 12 years. He didn't know what to do without Liz. Neither did he have any idea how to raise a baby, let alone a tiny preemie. But, having no other choice, he learned - both how to cope without the love of his life, and how to raise his new "best girl."

This memoir covers the first year of Maddy's life and life without Liz. We see Matt become a fumbling wreck to a competent daddy with the support of his family, friends, blog community he encounters, and the memory of Liz (by the way, I really liked the blog aspect. Matt created a blog to write about his experiences and made a lot of supportive friends through it. It reminds me of all the friends I've made via this here blog!). He thinks of her every day, and tries to infuse as much of her as possible into Maddy's life. For instance, he purchases Maddy fancy outfits at an expensive boutique just because he knows Liz would have.

This book was obviously sad. Matt often burst into tears at random moments just thinking about Liz. He couldn't let go of her personal effects at their house, and struggled just to sell her car. I can't even imagine what he was going through and it was heartbreaking to read about. At the same time, it was also hopeful. As he wrote, Maddy was now his reason for living, and without her, he would have nothing.

I enjoyed watching Matt progress from clueless to father. It was really cute and endearing. It's amazing to see the kinds of things people can endure when they have no other option. I also really liked how he focused a lot on keeping Liz's memory alive for their daughter. Even though she is too little to understand, he talks to her about her mother, and often takes her to all of Liz's favorite places including Mexico! He is far too overprepared on airplane rides though, bringing 11 diapers and 6 extra outfits or so... too funny. One thing I noticed was that this book was actually more about Liz and his grief than Maddy. While she is, of course, a central part of the story, I was expecting a bit more about her. Oh well.

Be warned, there is A LOT of swearing in this book - mostly F bombs. Matt's personality really shines through in this book, and he is quite crass and foul mouthed. I had no problem with this - in fact, I liked Matt a bit more because of his cynical and slightly rude personality - but I know that some people get quite offended by swearing. This made the book a little less sweet and touching than I had anticipated it being, but it certainly did not ruin it for me and I didn't really mind.

If you read this book, yes, you'll be a little sad, but the good thing is, you probably won't be depressed, because Matt manages to make the most out of things, and turn his situation around, and in a way, Liz is still always around them. I'd recommend this one to those interested in memoirs, particularly those about parenting or loss and the grieving process.

My Rating: 3.5/5