This book was good but sad. Journeying with someone as they grieve is hard. This book is well written. You feel the pain and compassion present. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I went into reading this having no idea what it was about. I picked it because after doing a bunch of genealogy for a family member who is interested in such things, I knew that John Robinette is probably a distant cousin of mine (and also Joe Biden's).

This story delves into the deepest and saddest aspects of life. The narrative is unusually constructed. John tells the story to his good friend over an extended course of time. His friend adds his observations and a bit of is own life story in the retelling.

John clearly came from a fantastic family. He's a man of means who lives what seems to be a typical upper middle class life. He's the sort of person who does everything in order at the right time and seems to have everything under control, even under the most trying circumstances.

I found this interesting, since I was comparing his reactions and his family to how it would be for me, and realized how different it was. I realized that neither I or the people around me were like John. Of course, we would never have his resources, but it was more than that. He seemed so steady. Then, John added some revelations that made me realize that even John had some pretty significant failings.

I've thought alot about John and his little boys. This book made me sad. This book made me think. That's a good thing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley..

Never Stop Dancing is a memoir dealing with the loss of a significant other. This was difficult to read, as I'm sure this is almost everyone's worst fear. The book was beautifully written, but heartbreaking at the same time.

On April 29th 2010, John Robinette said goodbye to his wife Amy and went to work. Just a normal day. But John's life, and that of their two boys Adam and Bryan, was to be changed forever that day. Amy was crossing the road on her way to work when she was hit by a truck driver and killed instantly. John's friend Robert Jacoby sat down with John and conducted a series of interviews documenting the first year following Amy's death. This memoir, or rather, this 'testament to love and life' is the result of those interviews.

We travel with John through the four seasons and feel the immediate all-encompassing grief as he struggles merely to function in the first few days and weeks following Amy's sudden death. John has no choice but to put one foot in front of the other, as he has two young sons that he is now solely responsible for. He talks about the importance of community, and finding others who have experienced death themselves. He is brutally honest about the agony of grief, and the loneliness that surrounds him. The crisis of faith, and the signs that comfort. The self-medicating with alcohol. The well-meaning, but unhelpful words that are uttered because we live in a world that has no ritual or convention for dealing with death - 'it seems only recently that we've pushed the experience of death and grieving so far away from us that we've made it foreign'. He speaks about the 'firsts' that fill him with sorrow - first Mother's Day, first Christmas, first birthdays without her.

As the first anniversary approaches, their final interview is scheduled. John has been able to learn lessons from Amy's death. He is a better and more present father, he is able to open his heart again and find love. He is able to live with his grief which will always be part of him, but it no longer defines him

Robert's aim in writing the book was to show that 'in this life of pain and sorrow there is great joy and beauty, too. And there are gifts to be found in grief. I wanted to know what could be salvaged, what might be learned, and after, what new life might be found and enjoyed'. I wholeheartedly believe he accomplished this in Never Stop Dancing. A truly beautiful testament to the life of Amy and John.

I enjoy the book. Just seemed to not be what the blurb was. I felt for the family, yes, jus the book seemed almost too personal...
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

This book really makes you think. It was sad, but also gives hope. Definite must read.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.