Isabel Moore is a school teacher and married with a twelve year-old daughter. “Days of Awe” begins with the car accident and funeral of her best friend and fellow teacher, Josie. As Isabel grieves for her best friend, her marriage is floundering and her husband has moved out ‘temporarily’. “Days of Awe” meanders through Isabel and Josie’s lives as we learn of Josie’s over-the-top behavior before her death, Isabel’s sullen-and-entering-puberty daughter Hannah, and tentative new beginnings for Isabel as she struggles to figure out who she is without her best friend, husband, and a moody young daughter.
In bits and pieces, we learn of Josie’s last year or so of life as she contemplated an affair, behaved oddly at work, and grew distant to Isabel. Helene, Isabel’s mother, offers up comic relief as she encourages Isabel to attend “Relationships In Transition” meetings with her. Slow in spots, “Days of Awe’ has enough humor, reflection and character development that put it in the recommend category.