NPR's Book of the Day In the novel ‘Loved One,’ an ambiguous friendship is further complicated by loss
Aug 27, 2025
Aisha Muharrar, the author of the debut novel 'Loved One,' delves into the intricate dynamics of grief and friendship. She discusses the complexities of her protagonist Julia, who grapples with the ambiguous loss of her friend Gabe, with whom her relationship was tangled before his death. Muharrar highlights the differing ways people cope with loss and the challenge of finding closure. She also shares insights on how she aimed to write a narrative about grief that resonates without feeling overly depressing.
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Ambiguous Loss Blocks Closure
- Ambiguous loss leaves relationships unresolved and frustrates closure.
- Muharrar stresses that unanswered questions after a death make grieving uniquely difficult.
Balance Grief With Lightness
- Include lightness when writing about grief to avoid deepening despair.
- Muharrar deliberately balanced joy and humor with loss to keep the story centered in life.
Uneasy First Meeting At A Funeral
- Elizabeth's bluntness at the funeral unsettles Julia and raises tension between them.
- Their uneasy exchange propels Julia to seek more information about Gabe through this new connection.
