The Book
G.A.B.
Grief's a B*tch
Some books are written to be read. This one was written to survive.
G.A.B. (Grief's A B*tch) is Aniya Bradsher's debut memoir — a raw, cinematic meditation on losing her twin brother Nigel and grandpa all whilst learning to live in a world they're no longer in. Written in fragments, letters, and journal entries, the book reads less like a chronology and more like a memory box someone has carefully invited you to look inside.
It is honest. It is funny in places you won't expect. It is a book for anyone whose grief has ever felt too loud for a polite conversation.
what lives inside
Themes
grief
Grief
The b*tch nobody warned me about. Loud, messy, and survivable.
family
Family
The house that raised me — full of noise, love, and everybody's business.
faith
Faith
Angry at God and held by God at the same time.
survival
Survival
Still here. Still telling the truth. Different, not stronger.
table of contents
Seven chapters
- 01Title coming soon
- 02Title coming soon
- 03Title coming soon
- 04Title coming soon
- 05Title coming soon
- 06Title coming soon
- 07Title coming soon
- 08Title coming soon
Sample — Chapter Two
The Day I Lost Nigel
June 18th, 2022. Two days before Father's Day. I had an early shift at TJ Maxx — 6 a.m. — one of them mornings where you move before your soul even clocks in.
That morning, I walked down the stairs and touched his head. Just rested my hand there for a second. I said, I'll see you later. Then I walked out the door. And that was it. That was the last time I ever saw my brother.
At 12:04 p.m., right as I was going on break, I saw my mama had texted me. Come home please. My heart dropped straight to my stomach. My mama was not a texter like that — especially not vague.
Her voice was shaking — cracked in a way I had never heard. "Be careful… but Nigel is in cardiac arrest."
for the ones ready to feel