Poet and novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths has released her memoir, "The Flower Bearers", which reflects on a decade of personal upheavals.
Key events detailed in the memoir include the death of her best friend, Kamilah Aisha Moon, in 2021, which occurred on the day of Griffiths' wedding to Salman Rushdie. This was preceded by the death of Griffiths' mother and two uncles during the pandemic.
Less than a year after Moon's death, Griffiths' husband, Salman Rushdie, survived an assassination attempt in which he sustained severe stab wounds. Rushdie later documented this attack in his own book, "Knife".
The memoir also addresses Griffiths' personal struggles, including a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder and a past incident in 2013 where a mental health crisis led to police involvement and her being handcuffed after calling a suicide hotline.
"The Flower Bearers" explores themes of love, sisterhood, violence, loss, and emotional devastation. It highlights the profound friendship between Griffiths and Moon, which began in New York during their graduate studies in creative writing. The book concludes with Griffiths' journey to the American south to honor Moon and confront her grief, ultimately accepting loss as a part of life.