In April 2012, poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander returned home from a poetry reading to find her fifty-year-old husband, Ficre Ghebreyesus, dead from a heart attack. This stunningly beautiful memoir is Alexander's tribute to her late husband, a chef and artist who spoke four languages and escaped war in his native Eritrea to build a family and successful career in America. And while there is deep sorrow woven throughout its pages, The Light of the World is at its core a celebration. For as she navigates the shock and grief of her husband's sudden death, Alexander reflects on their courtship and marriage, the shared joys of parenthood, the blending of cultures and families, and the inspiring brio with which Ficre lived each and every day. A lyrical and profound meditation on grief and love, this heartfelt memoir is a must-read.