"Of the numerous books that have been written about loss, Matthews has given us an original, startling and deeply thought-provoking work. . . What we are left with is a sense of peace -- the kind that comes with the knowledge that, even in the darkest places, we are not alone." -- Eve Joseph, author of In the Slender Margin

Minerva's Owl is a memoir that celebrates marriage and explores bereavement a stage of married love. It includes literary references, conversations, letters and memories that are framed in six sections: grieving, longing, belonging, mourning, cleaving and, ultimately, surviving. It does not offer easy answers or a step-by-step guide to grief -- rather, Minerva's Owl provides an unforgettable account of great love and loss.

Carol Matthews was born in Vancouver and, after living in Montreal and Nanaimo, has settled on Protection Island. A writer and consultant, she has worked as a hospital social worker, Executive Director of a family service organization, and as a college instructor and administrator. Her articles have appeared in a number of educational and literary publications and in anthologies. She is a regular book reviewer for Event Magazine and The Malahat Review, and writes a quarterly column for The Relational Journal of Child and Youth Care.

Carol Matthews' profile page

"This is the best book on grief, mourning, and loss that I have ever read -- and believe me I have read a few."

Wendy Pratt, former Executive Director of Hospice Nanaimo

"Minerva's Owl is more than a tender handbook for the grieving; a brimming saga of a courtship and marriage, it reminds us to attend well to the art of living."