Synopsis: The Empty Side of Our Bed
by Bill Beckett
When Bonnie died, so did the life we built together. The laughter, the routines, the quiet glances across a crowded room that said, “I’ve got you.” One moment I was her husband, her caregiver, her partner of decades. The next, I was a widower, walking through our house like a ghost, surrounded not by her absence but by the traces of her in every room.
The Empty Side of Our Bed is a raw, deeply personal memoir about what happens after the funeral, after the casseroles, after the sympathy cards stop arriving. It is about waking up in the middle of the night and instinctively reaching for a hand that is no longer there, and about trying to be strong for your children when you can barely stand on your own. Grief here is not a clean arc of healing. It is a relentless tide that crashes and recedes without warning.
The story begins in the immediate aftermath of Bonnie’s passing, when I take a road trip with my son Billy, more zombie than man, trying to put distance between myself and the hospital bed where I watched her take her last breath. What follows is a year of unraveling, and slowly, thread by thread, a quiet reweaving.
I explore the brutal bureaucracy of death, the surreal pain of “firsts” without her, the cruel math of identity, and the way memory can both comfort and wound. I write about how work fell apart, how friendships changed, and how even family could not always reach me. I share the awkward, guilt-filled steps of dating again, and how love after loss is never a clean slate but something written over grief that never fully fades.
This is not just a chronicle of sorrow. It is a story of stubborn, ordinary resilience, of how children, grandchildren, therapy, and even a magic show or two can pull you back from the edge. It is about learning that the empty side of the bed may always be there, but you can still find a way to rest beside it.
Written for anyone who has lost a partner, this memoir refuses tidy resolutions or false uplift. Instead, it offers companionship and a voice that says, “I know this place. I have been here too. You are not alone.”
Why I wrote the book"
I wrote The Empty Side of Our Bed to keep my wife, Bonnie, alive on the page...to honor the kind, spirited, and unforgettable woman she was. I wanted to tell this story through a lens that is rarely shared, that of a widower learning how to live in a world that feels permanently off-balance. But above all, I wrote it for those who are grieving, especially those who wake to an empty side of the bed. My hope is this story serves as a companion for those navigating loss, reminding them they are never truly alone.
Author Bio & Credentials – Bill Beckett
Bill Beckett is a widower, father of three, and grandfather whose writing is rooted in emotional honesty and lived experience. After spending decades in the IT industry, including a distinguished period working in digital forensics, he turned to writing as a way to process grief and reconnect with purpose following the death of his wife, Bonnie.
His debut memoir, *Love, Family, Cancer*, chronicled Bonnie’s three-year battle with cancer and the love that sustained them through it. The book was praised by readers for its sincerity, warmth, and vulnerability, and received a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite.
In *The Empty Side of Our Bed*, Beckett continues that story, exploring what happens after the loss, how grief evolves, how identity is reshaped, and how family remains both an anchor and a reason to keep going. His writing is deeply personal but widely relatable, resonating with readers who seek comfort, solidarity, and meaning through life’s most difficult seasons.
Bill lives in Georgia, where he enjoys storytelling, time with his children and grandchildren, and writing from the quiet corner of a life forever changed by love and loss.
The Empty Side Of Our Bed
Written By Bill Beckett
Review By Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews
First, I want to thank Bill Beckett for providing me with his book so I can bring you this review.
Bill, words can’t express how truly sorry I am for your loss of your wife Bonnie. Thank you for opening up your heart and sharing your story with us. You both shared an incredible love and were so blessed to have each other. Nobody could ever replace her; she was special and one of a kind.
Bill Beckett’s Empty Side of Our Bed: A Journey Through Love, Loss and Moving Forward was a very emotional read. It is a follow up from his memoir Love, Family, Cancer. It is a quick read that can be read in one sitting. Warning you may need tissues.
This book was difficult for me to read emotionally because I am still grieving the loss of my Dad who passed 8 months ago. Like Bonnie was Bill’s person my Dad was mine (well my best friend). Many aspects of the book I could relate to. Some hit me harder than others. For example The ashes in the urn once being his physical body no I will never get over that. I don’t know how Bill stayed so calm but I didn’t.
Intertwined in this book you will find pictures of Bill, Bonnie and their sons (Matthew, Billy and Nathan) cards, and written letters.
The Empty Side of Our Bed would be perfect for a bereavement group, hospice group, family/friend that passed away, or even a book club.
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