The End of Your Life Book Club: A Memoir

Quite a journey

This book is about coming to terms with our humanity, about helping, about the importance of books in our everyday life. I approached it several times, each time taking something for myself, but not having the strength to read it cover to cover, as if I afraid of what was around the corner of the next page. This time I succeeded completing it. And will probably return, certainly to the books that were chosen by the End of Your Life Book Club.

A quietly lovely experience. It's clear how much the author loves not just the idea of his mother, but spending time with her, and witnessing with pride her efforts and accomplishments. Wonderful to see two people communicate with and about books, to hear the author reflect on and report his mother's thoughts on books. I'll admit the mother's connection with religion/faith is one I don't share, so I felt a little distanced as a result, but if you love books, I think you'll have a good time, even as the story is also one of a family preparing for the loss of a loved one, seeing the journey through the final stages of treatment of, and death by, cancer, and also recounts harrowing moments related to the mother's work with refugees. Less of an inspiring tear jerker than I thought it might be, more of a meditation on how people deal with death, and the importance of books in their lives. ♥️

⚠️terminal illness, suicide, mention of torture, SA, abduction, child soldiers