Review by Biancalynn10 -- Dying Well
- Biancalynn10
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- Latest Review: Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben
Review by Biancalynn10 -- Dying Well
I have just finished reading "Dying Well: Our Journey of Love and Loss" by Susan Ducharme Hoben. This book is a wonderful read for anyone who is or has suffered the loss of a loved one through a terminal illness, or any circumstance where death is definite. This book is definitely a 4 out of 4 for me.
Bruce Hoben is a somewhat young, healthy man with a great career, family and grandkids on the way when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The way he handles it with fearlessness and grace is absolutely inspiring. The book is written by his wife, Susan, who handles it in a very matter of fact way without acknowledging her real feelings of grief and loss until later on in the journey. It is very eye opening to see the motions that Bruce himself and the rest of his family and friends go through while knowing he only has months, weeks, and days to live.
This book really hits home for anyone who has gone through this, myself included. The facts and feelings are very raw and honest: how unfair cancer is and the cruel reality that life goes on. It is very interesting to see how people's relationships with Bruce start to change once they realize he is going to die. Bruce's wife tries to be the perfect caretaker and for a long time treats everything as an excel sheet of symptoms and tries to compare Bruce to all of her online research until she discovers the reality that she is going to be alone and without her husband. It is very emotional going through this journey from her point of view.
I truly loved reading this book. The characters are real, the emotions are real, and the circumstances are very real. Having personally lost someone to cancer in the past few months in a very similar way, I laughed, I cried, and I related page after page. It gave me more closure than I had before I read the book about my own personal experience with this type of loss. It makes me want to follow these real people and see how their life has changed since losing Bruce. The book really makes you feel like you know them.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer, or had a loved one diagnosed with cancer. Whether you have already lost a loved one or you are going through the motions of losing a loved one, this book will bring you comfort, knowing that, you are not alone. It is a book of inspiration and loss, but brings the quality of life to light and really forces you to think about your day to day living life to the fullest.
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Dying Well
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