Nora McInerny’s 'It’s OK to Laugh' Named One of the ‘Top 10 Books to Comfort a Friend’
24 Apr 2023
It’s Okay to Laugh by APB speaker and bestselling author Nora McInerny was just named one of the top 10 books to comfort a friend by Oprah Daily. McInerny wrote the book after suffering the loss of her husband, Aaron, second pregnancy and father within a few weeks of each other. When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron's hospital bed and married after his first surgery. They had a baby when he was on chemo. They shared an amazing summer filled with happiness and laughter. A few months later, Aaron died in McInerny's arms in another hospital bed.
In the book, McInerny shares hysterical, moving and painfully honest stories about her journey with Aaron. It's Okay to Laugh explores the universal themes of love, marriage, work, (single) motherhood and depression through her refreshingly frank viewpoint. It’s a love letter to life in all of its messy glory and what it's like to still be kickin'.
“McInerny is hilarious and wise, one of those rare people who can hold all parts of life in her hand without flinching or looking away,” wrote the editors of Oprah Daily. “She has become a life raft for other young widows, shepherding them through the early years as they find a way to keep going.”
As the creator and host of the podcasts “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” and “It’s Going To Be OK,” and the TED speaker known for her viral talk, “We Don’t Move On From Grief, We Move Forward With It,” McInerny specializes in making space for emotional honesty and difficult conversations. From her bestselling memoirs and essay collections to her pieces in The New York Times, TIME magazine and The Washington Post, McInerny’s work regularly touches on topics many would rather not discuss—death, loss, illness, mental health, trauma and change—with disarming wit and earnest candor.
In her latest book, Bad Vibes Only: (and Other Things I Bring to the Table), McInerny introduces us to her mind and her world while inviting us to more closely observe our own. She is also the author of The Hot Young Widows Club: Lessons on Survival from the Front Lines of Grief and No Happy Endings: A Memoir.