如果有一天，妈妈突然走了⋯⋯

没有妈妈的陪伴，谁来提醒我收拾房间？

谁能煮出那熟悉的滋味来安抚我的胃？

当我遇到对象，谁能告诉我他是不是对的人？

谁来帮我面对生孩子的恐惧？我又该如何让孩子认识外婆？

也许，如果，妈妈可以给我写本笔记，

教我解决这些大小问题，教我去适应她已离开的事实⋯⋯

插画家女儿哈莉在某个失眠的夜晚，意识到母亲总有一天会比自己先走一步。

她害怕地想像母亲死后的各种可能情况，想像她会错过多少重要的时刻。

隔天早上，她要求母亲苏西写一本“妈妈离世指南”给她，逐步指导她如何度过没有母亲陪伴的日子，包括“煮一锅咖哩治疗心碎”、“想念我时唱一首歌”，或是“我来找你时的五个征兆”。

苏西哈哈大笑，“好的，没问题”。

A mother's advice to her daughter--a guide to daily living, both practical and sublime--with full-color illustrations throughout.

One sleepless night while she was in her early twenties, illustrator/writer Hallie Bateman had a painful realization: her mom would die, and after she died she would be gone. The prospect was devastating, and also scary--how would she navigate the world without the person who gave her life? She thought about all the motherly advice she would miss--advice that could help her through the challenges to come, including the ordeal of losing a parent.

The next day, Hallie asked her mother, writer Suzy Hopkins, to record step-by-step instructions for her to follow in the event of her mom's death. The list began: "Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey and make some fajitas" and continued from there, walking Hallie through the days, months, and years of life after loss, with motherly guidance and support, addressing issues great and small--from choosing a life partner to baking a quiche. The project became a way for mother and daughter to connect with humor, openness, and gratitude. It led to this book.

Combining Suzy's wit and heartfelt advice with Hallie's quirky and colorful style, What to Do When I'm Gone is the illustrated instruction manual for getting through life without one's mom. It's also a poignant look at loss, love, and taking things one moment at a time. By turns whimsical, funny, touching, and above all pragmatic, it will leave readers laughing and teary-eyed. And it will spur conversations that enrich family members' understanding of one another.