An Accidental Light by Elizabeth Diamond

Ellen's Comments: In An Accidental Light, Elizabeth Diamond explores the ripples that spread from a single tragedy. Driving through a rainy November twilight, Jack Phillips, a police officer, strikes 13-year-old Laura Jenkins as she dashes across the street from behind a bus. As the father of two young daughters, Jack holds Laura’s hand and tries to reassure her as life slips away. The inquest absolves him or any fault—it was “a tragic accident”—but Jack cannot forgive himself and is convinced that Laura appears to him after her death. Unable to fully perform his police duties, he takes leave and goes into counseling.

Through excerpts from the journal Jack keeps during therapy, and from related incidents, the author delves into the way different people deal with tragedy in their lives and the repercussions from each response. The grieving mother, the vengeful father, Jack’s wife, his children, his co-workers, his estranged father, the aunt and uncle who raised him after his mother’s suicide—all are drawn into complex emotions evoked by the tragedy and the life changes that follow.

This is a tender, touching story of grief, guilt and vengeance, and of the journey to hope and healing. There is surprise after surprise, and to tell more would, I fear, detract from your own path of discovery. I’m looking forward to reading Diamond’s next book, hoping it has the same depth of insight into human emotions.