Say Her Name

Goldman's soulful memoir lovingly recalls his brief marriage to Aura Estrada, a Mexican writer and graduate student, and revisits her tragic death in a surfing accident. Sparing readers no aspect of his pain, shock, and grief, Goldman looks back on tender, humble moments from his life with Aura, such as the expensive quilt she bought for their bed and the gossip Web sites she liked to peruse before falling asleep. Robert Fass's narration is never melodramatic; instead he maintains an even keel throughout%E2%80%94even during the book's most heart-wrenching moments. Fass captures the book's spirit with its gentle mourning for a lost paradise of marital bliss. A Grove Press hardcover. (May)