About the Book
Starting with Goodbye begins with loss and ends with love, as a midlife daughter rediscovers her enigmatic father after his death. When her dead dad drops in for “conversations,” his absent presence invites Lisa to examine why this parent she turned away from in life now holds her spellbound. Lisa reconsiders the affluent upbringing he financed (horses, lavish vacations, bulging closets), and the emotional distance that grew when he retired to Las Vegas and she remained in New Jersey where she and her husband earn moderate incomes. She also confronts death rituals, navigates new family dynamics, living both in memory and in the unfolding moment. In this brutally honest, compelling tribute, Lisa searches for meaning, reconciling the Italian-American self-made textile manufacturer, who liked newspapers, smoking, Las Vegas craps tables, and solitude, with the complex man she discovers influenced everything, from career choice to spouse. By forging a new father-daughter “relationship,” grief is transformed to life-affirming redemption. In poignant, often lyrical prose, this powerful book proves that when we dare to love the parent who challenged us most, it’s never too late.
