Your World Is Changed Forever. And No One Seems to Understand.
You were a wife. A partner. Part of a "we." Now, you are a widow. And you've been thrown into a new life you didn't choose, with no manual and no preparation.
People go back to their lives, but yours stands still. They offer sympathy, but grief lasts much longer than sympathy. You're not just grieving a person; you're grieving the life you had, and now you have to figure out who you are. Alone.
What if you had a companion for this journey? One that was written from the trenches, for the trenches?
Introducing Beyond Widow: Inspiration from the Trenches
We are Patty McGuigan and Tesha McCord Poe. We are widows, just like you. We wrote Beyond Widow because we looked for a guide and couldn't find one that spoke to our new reality. We didn't need a clinical book on grief that felt like a "roller coaster of emotions" we couldn't commit to.
We needed a friend. A "dip into" book to keep on the bedside table for encouragement. One that could feel like a warm hug, but also pull no punches about how messy and hard this is.
Beyond Widow is that friend. It’s a guide to help you navigate your new identity and find a path forward, on your own terms.
This book will help you:
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Feel Understood: Read raw, honest stories from our two different perspectives on everything from the first day alone to handling "grief ambushes" years later.
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Navigate Your New Identity: We explore the shift from being a "pair" to a "singleton" and the challenge of becoming the CEO of a life you used to share.
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Find Practical Footing: Get no-nonsense advice on daunting tasks like sorting out finances, managing the "boy jobs" around the house, and dealing with social situations where you feel like a third wheel.
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Reimagine What's Possible: Discover the inspiring stories of "Wonder Widows" from history—women who, after great loss, created incredible new chapters for themselves.
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Give Yourself Permission: Permission to reinvent yourself, to experience joy again, to wear something bright red, and to create a life that feels like your own.
What Readers are Saying
"I love this book and the entire gamut of emotions it contains. I giggled at the cartoons... they are spot on!" - Virginia P.
“I had so many flashbacks when reading this book. My husband passed away many years ago and I still found this helpful to read. It legitimized a lot of emotions that I didn’t know I still had.” - Marie C.
"This is such an important book. Nobody talks about these things and nobody knows how to approach a new widow. I loved learning a bit more about it and I will gift one to a friend who recently lost her husband." - Randi H.
"Anyone who says that time heals all wounds hasn't truly grieved. There is no getting used to losing someone you love. Once you think you've accommodated the grief, it surprises you in new ways. But you surprise yourself too in your ability to withstand it." - Chris D.
When everything changes, you can rebuild yourself after loss
Beyond Widow is more than a book; it's a lifeline. It’s the permission slip you've been waiting for to start building your new life, piece by piece, while honoring the love and the life you had.
Don't just survive. Find your way beyond.
About the Authors
Patty McGuigan became a widow in 2019 after 40 years of marriage. A longtime professional in commercial real estate, she found a new path in widowhood by becoming an author, collaborating on this book to help other women find their own way forward.
Tesha McCord Poe, an attorney and passionate nonprofit leader, became a widow suddenly in 2021. She and Patty bonded over their shared status as widows and a desire to empower other women to move forward with strength and purpose after loss.