By Himself

by Deborah K. van den Hoonaard

What happens when older men become widowers? Popular books, movies, and television present widowers as lost and unable to cope or care for themselves. These stereotypes do not encapsulate the experiences of real widowers, how their daily lives change, and what being a widower means to individuals in both sociological and practical ways.

'Deborah K. van den Hoonaard possesses the rare gift of combining academic scholarship with accessibility in this refreshingly jargon-free and highly readable book on older widowers. It is not, and does not claim to be, a 'how to' guide. Rather it is a 'how is' exposition of what van den Hoonaard rightly identifies as uncharted territory for older men and their families. Nevertheless, there is much which will resonate with professional practitioners, those who study later life, and especially older widowers themselves.' -- Kate Davidson, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey 'By Himself is a fine story, because it's uncommonly clear and compelling. It's also an unexpected account of how widowers-contrary to the public image of helplessness and desolation-take stock of this new territory of experience, pick up the pieces, and rebuild their lives. Deborah K. van den Hoonaard reinterprets this role for us by letting widowers speak for themselves, and the result is a fascinating study of the self-reliance that, "by himself," the widower uses to actively navigate the unfamiliar.' -- Jaber F. Gubrium, Department of Sociology, University of Missouri 'By Himself is qualitative research at its best. Van den Hoonaard interweaves theory and earlier research findings with the voices of men who have lived the experience of losing their wives. Only a truly engaged scholar could elicit such authentic and revealing data, analyze it, and offer new understandings to readers without relinquishing any of the original authenticity.' -- Dorothy Stratton, Department of Social Work, Ashland University