Review by Lee-Ann20 -- Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben

[Lee-Ann20]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Dying Well" by Susan Ducharme Hoben.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Dying Well: Our Journey of Love and Loss by Susan Ducharme Hoben is one woman’s memoir of the last days of the death of her husband. Far from being depressing and full of unwarranted medical procedures, this was an uplifting book about choosing how to accept death and how to die with dignity. While we all may not have the luxury of being able to choose to stop treatments for an illness, those that do are able to appreciate the final passage more so.

This book was an uplifting look at death. Most books about death are depressing and dark and scary. This book was the complete opposite. This book was actually full of life. When Bruce was first diagnosed, of course he did his treatments and went into remission. Then the cancer came back. When the prognosis was not good, he decided to forgo more treatment and live the rest of his life of his terms. This allowed for family and friends to say goodbye, end arguments and put to rest any regrets. Instead of having these conversations one sided, Bruce was able to see all the love and comfort that he will be leaving, but he knew that nothing would be left hanging.

Certain readers would not enjoy this book. Bruce and Susan were able to enjoy their end of days because they do live a privileged lifestyle. Not everyone can do that, and this can be seen as pretentious. Also, the lack of religion in a book about death can be off-putting to some readers as well. This is an extremely personal decision, and Susan is very good about not stating which views are good or bad, they just are, but it could turn some readers off.

This book was extremely well-edited. I did not come across any spelling or grammatical mistakes. The book was well written. I wanted to keep reading about this incredibly loving family.

I would give Dying Well: Our Journey of Love and Loss by Susan Ducharme Hoben a 4 out of 4 stars. This book was extremely well-edited and extremely well written. This is ultimately a hopeful book about death and dying, our last sacred passage. While some readers would not like to read a book about death, some may look to it to see how to come to terms with their own impending demise, or a family member. While we may not know what happens after dying, this book makes the process a little less frightening.

******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes