Who is Ann Nielsen from What Dreams May Come: A Novel and what is their importance?

Ann Nielsen is wife to Chris, his soul mate and companion. After Chris dies, Ann loses her desire to live. She does not believe in any sort of afterlife, and so she is in despair with her husband's death. To think that he no longer exists is simply more than she can bear. Her children try to share their experiences with her, but she merely believes they are trying to make her feel better, or that their experiences come from their very own intense pain of loss. Finally, Ann despairs and takes her own life. Her existence in the afterlife becomes one of a cruel and never-ending circle of despair and thoughts of suicide.