“Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir” by Sally Quinn

Late last year, a woman I know who is a very private person, sent me an email suggesting that I read a book called “Finding Magic” by Sally Quinn. I took this as an important sign and ordered the audio book from my library immediately. I have always loved Sally Quinn and her husband, the late Ben Bradlee, but I did not know the intimate details of their story. “Finding Magic” is not only a spiritual memoir as advertised, but also a survivor’s guide on how to deal with the death of a loved one. Quinn started her career as a journalist and television commentator, and soon transformed herself into a doyenne at the center of the Washington social scene when she married Bradlee, the executive editor of the Washington Post.  Quinn writes about her private spiritual journey from voodoo lessons and visits to psychics to more traditional explorations of modern religion and prayer. She details how her faith helped her navigate the most difficult moments in her life, which included raising her son Quinn, who was born with a severe developmental disability, and later caring for Bradlee who was diagnosed with dementia late in their 36-year marriage. Her strength and ability to survive in the face of tragedy is reminiscent of Joan Didion’s book “The Year of Magical Thinking.”  There is a passage in this book in which Quinn details sleeping with her late husband’s shirt for nearly a year after his death. When I read that passage, I surprisingly did not pity her. Instead I thought immediately to myself, “What a brilliant, soothing idea.” Sally Quinn is a woman who knows how to take care of herself. That is why people should read this book: to learn how to deal with life, loss and everything in between.   To purchase this book on Amazon click here.