Review by mbhuibregtse -- Dying Well
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mbhuibregtse
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Review by mbhuibregtse -- Dying Well
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dying Well" by Susan Ducharme Hoben.]
How many times have you thought about doing something, then wavered? What if you knew it would all end? Would your choices change? In Dying Well, Sue Hoben was given that chance. Shattered by the news of her cancer, she reviews her life and wastes no more time. She mourns her diagnosis and beings to check all her boxes of living a full life. She reunites with old friends, travels the world, and speaks her truth. Fortunately, Sue enters cancer remission and sees the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the joy of her second chance at life comes to a halt with news of another cancerous tumor in her husband, Bruce. Sue and Bruce are paralyzed with shock when they learn his cancer is terminal. Sue’s roles immediately reverse from patient to caretaker. Sue tells the story of Bruce through her eyes on how to live your life to the fullest in the midst of dying.
This book was heartbreaking, yet relatable. I bawled through it and couldn’t put it down. As the reader, I felt like I was a part of the family, experiencing all of the emotions with them. With each health update brought stints of faith until the next routine appointment. I felt most connected to the book while reading dialogue with Bruce. Sue wrote about him in such a complex way. It was almost as if he was a secondary person despite the entire story being about him. He seemed to mourn his fate while accepting it, the beautiful tragedy of knowing about your death.
The only complaint I have is that it felt like reading a medical report at times. However, I understand the significance to this because someone experiencing cancer is constantly making sense of intricate medical jargon that their life depends on. The monotonous routine of explaining health updates to family infuriated me, even though I knew it was part of their journey. I loved hearing Bruce speak, and Sue describing his reactions to each event. I would have loved to hear more of that. I think it would have been interesting to hear more of other family members’ perspectives as well through the dialogue. Nevertheless, Sue is an excellent writer.
Hands down, this book deserves 4 out of 4 stars. It was so eloquently written, and it brought out every emotion as I read. There was no profanity, and limited errors. I recommend Dying Well to anyone who has experienced the horror of cancer. As a child, both of my parents went through cancer, and that experience made my relationship with the book stronger. I have read books similar to this, but I have never walked away with such peace around death. It was truly life changing.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
How many times have you thought about doing something, then wavered? What if you knew it would all end? Would your choices change? In Dying Well, Sue Hoben was given that chance. Shattered by the news of her cancer, she reviews her life and wastes no more time. She mourns her diagnosis and beings to check all her boxes of living a full life. She reunites with old friends, travels the world, and speaks her truth. Fortunately, Sue enters cancer remission and sees the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the joy of her second chance at life comes to a halt with news of another cancerous tumor in her husband, Bruce. Sue and Bruce are paralyzed with shock when they learn his cancer is terminal. Sue’s roles immediately reverse from patient to caretaker. Sue tells the story of Bruce through her eyes on how to live your life to the fullest in the midst of dying.
This book was heartbreaking, yet relatable. I bawled through it and couldn’t put it down. As the reader, I felt like I was a part of the family, experiencing all of the emotions with them. With each health update brought stints of faith until the next routine appointment. I felt most connected to the book while reading dialogue with Bruce. Sue wrote about him in such a complex way. It was almost as if he was a secondary person despite the entire story being about him. He seemed to mourn his fate while accepting it, the beautiful tragedy of knowing about your death.
The only complaint I have is that it felt like reading a medical report at times. However, I understand the significance to this because someone experiencing cancer is constantly making sense of intricate medical jargon that their life depends on. The monotonous routine of explaining health updates to family infuriated me, even though I knew it was part of their journey. I loved hearing Bruce speak, and Sue describing his reactions to each event. I would have loved to hear more of that. I think it would have been interesting to hear more of other family members’ perspectives as well through the dialogue. Nevertheless, Sue is an excellent writer.
Hands down, this book deserves 4 out of 4 stars. It was so eloquently written, and it brought out every emotion as I read. There was no profanity, and limited errors. I recommend Dying Well to anyone who has experienced the horror of cancer. As a child, both of my parents went through cancer, and that experience made my relationship with the book stronger. I have read books similar to this, but I have never walked away with such peace around death. It was truly life changing.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas
