Losing George by Anne Majic is a beautifully written and deeply personal account of grief, love and the strength of the Fernie community.
George Majic was a force in Fernie. A councillor, volunteer, lawyer, businessman, avid golfer and skier, George was well known throughout the community. But to Anne, he was something much more personal: her husband, the father of their four children and her partner in life.
In her first published book, Losing George: Stories of Grief and Coming Together, Anne tells the story of what came next after George died suddenly and the life they had built together changed in an instant.
Anne bares her soul in describing grief in its rawest moments, but this is not simply a story of sadness. It is also about the people who appeared when she needed them most and the many ways a community can help carry someone through loss.
Family, friends and acquaintances arrive with acts of kindness, practical help and companionship. Some clean her home. Others help organize finances or deal with responsibilities that suddenly seem overwhelming. Some simply sit down for coffee and offer their presence.
Individually, many of these gestures might seem small. Together, they become something powerful.
That is where Losing George becomes more than Anne’s memoir.
For Fernie readers, many of the people, relationships and experiences will feel familiar. Fernie has long taken pride in being a community where people come together when someone needs help, and Anne’s story offers a very personal account of what that looks like when life suddenly falls apart.
There is also an important lesson for anyone who has wondered what to say or do when someone they know is grieving. Anne shows that helping does not require perfect words or a grand gesture. Often it means recognizing what needs to be done and quietly doing it, or simply being there.
The book is ultimately as much about love as it is about loss: Anne’s love for George, the love surrounding their family, and the friendship and compassion that emerged following his death.
Despite its subject, Losing George is filled with warmth, gratitude and hope.
Anne and George raised their four children in Fernie, and Anne remains actively connected to the community through the arts, music and heritage. She is a member of the Fernie Arts Station Visual Arts Group, sings with the Fernie Community Choir and serves on the Fernie Heritage Restoration Committee.
For those who knew George, the book provides another window into the man behind the many public roles he held in Fernie. For those who have experienced loss, Anne’s story may offer comfort and recognition. And for the rest of us, it is a thoughtful reminder that when someone we know is hurting, showing up matters.
Losing George is available at the local bookstore, the Fernie Heritage Library and online at www.annemajic.com.
Photo: Fernie Heritage Library
Editor
