Review of Dying Well
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OTrain Disene
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Review of Dying Well
[Following is a volunteer review of "Dying Well" by Susan Ducharme Hoben.]
Nothing is as cruel as death. Death attacks when we least expect it. It sneaks up on us and leaves us with chaos and incurable heartaches. But, it can happen, in some instances, that it doesn’t sneak up on us. It just knocks before entering. What then? Does it still leave chaos? Yes, it does. But heartaches in such cases are not so severe to the survivors. In this book aptly titled Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben, we get to see one side of death that we don't usually see through this true story. We get to experience what Susan and her loved ones did to handle the death of a loved one that was imminent. It is soothing, just as it is heart-breaking.
The author opens the book with a preface, where she shares the doubts she had about writing this book. She didn’t think that her story was worth telling, but upon pondering, she changed her mind. Her story was like many others that were left untold. She wanted to break that cycle. She shares how most people who suffer from chronic illnesses mostly spend the rest of their lives in hospitals with doctors and specialists trying to get saved, only to die lonely and sad. Some of these people wished they had lived the rest of their dying days with their loved ones but couldn’t get a chance. Because she walked the same road as these people, she wrote this book as a way to tell them that they are not alone and never were.
In the first chapter, the author narrates the time when she went to the doctor with her husband, Bruce, to get her test results. That was when Susan was told that everything was all right. She got to breathe with relief. It was all a hard road to walk, but her husband and family were there for her every step of the way. The second chapter narrates the story when Susan and her husband found out that he had a tumour in his oesophagus. They did several tests, and they all said the same thing. He had to undergo gruesome treatment.
The rest of the book shares how Susan, Brice, and the children handled it all, especially after Bruce took a big decision regarding his treatment that affected not only him but the rest of his family too. Get to see the struggle, the joy, the pain, and every emotion that came with that decision in this book.
I have never read such a different book. It touched on many sensitive topics in a very gentle and considerate way. The author was telling it all as it was. I could sense that she was honest with herself, which enabled her to be honest with us throughout the book. I could not imagine the pain she must have felt when she found out that the person who supported her through everything was the one who was now needing the very same support from her. It all came as a shock. But they were both each other’s support systems, so they took everything as it came.
Whether it comes unexpected or expected, death hurts. I loved the author’s penmanship. She was concise. She said a lot using few words, which is a skill that most authors don’t have and wish they had. The book’s pace was rather quick, which I appreciated because it showed just how they must have felt when they were going through it all, that time was moving fast, and they just didn’t have any of it left. I loved how they all understood and supported Bruce in his decision. This gave him agency over his life. He didn’t let death control him. He had a say on how he wanted to move forward. It wasn’t selfish of him. By this, he showed he cared for them all.
I loved the documents that were attached to this book. They showed how real the story was. They brought everything to reality when it kind of got unbelievable. The music that the author cited was very much appreciated. It kind of gave the soundtrack of what was happening.
There is nothing I disliked about it. My expectations were met and even exceeded. I would recommend it to people who love reading memoirs, nonfiction, and inspirational books. They would appreciate it.
With that said, I proudly rate this book four out of four stars. I didn’t detect any errors, giving me the impression that it was professionally edited.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Nothing is as cruel as death. Death attacks when we least expect it. It sneaks up on us and leaves us with chaos and incurable heartaches. But, it can happen, in some instances, that it doesn’t sneak up on us. It just knocks before entering. What then? Does it still leave chaos? Yes, it does. But heartaches in such cases are not so severe to the survivors. In this book aptly titled Dying Well by Susan Ducharme Hoben, we get to see one side of death that we don't usually see through this true story. We get to experience what Susan and her loved ones did to handle the death of a loved one that was imminent. It is soothing, just as it is heart-breaking.
The author opens the book with a preface, where she shares the doubts she had about writing this book. She didn’t think that her story was worth telling, but upon pondering, she changed her mind. Her story was like many others that were left untold. She wanted to break that cycle. She shares how most people who suffer from chronic illnesses mostly spend the rest of their lives in hospitals with doctors and specialists trying to get saved, only to die lonely and sad. Some of these people wished they had lived the rest of their dying days with their loved ones but couldn’t get a chance. Because she walked the same road as these people, she wrote this book as a way to tell them that they are not alone and never were.
In the first chapter, the author narrates the time when she went to the doctor with her husband, Bruce, to get her test results. That was when Susan was told that everything was all right. She got to breathe with relief. It was all a hard road to walk, but her husband and family were there for her every step of the way. The second chapter narrates the story when Susan and her husband found out that he had a tumour in his oesophagus. They did several tests, and they all said the same thing. He had to undergo gruesome treatment.
The rest of the book shares how Susan, Brice, and the children handled it all, especially after Bruce took a big decision regarding his treatment that affected not only him but the rest of his family too. Get to see the struggle, the joy, the pain, and every emotion that came with that decision in this book.
I have never read such a different book. It touched on many sensitive topics in a very gentle and considerate way. The author was telling it all as it was. I could sense that she was honest with herself, which enabled her to be honest with us throughout the book. I could not imagine the pain she must have felt when she found out that the person who supported her through everything was the one who was now needing the very same support from her. It all came as a shock. But they were both each other’s support systems, so they took everything as it came.
Whether it comes unexpected or expected, death hurts. I loved the author’s penmanship. She was concise. She said a lot using few words, which is a skill that most authors don’t have and wish they had. The book’s pace was rather quick, which I appreciated because it showed just how they must have felt when they were going through it all, that time was moving fast, and they just didn’t have any of it left. I loved how they all understood and supported Bruce in his decision. This gave him agency over his life. He didn’t let death control him. He had a say on how he wanted to move forward. It wasn’t selfish of him. By this, he showed he cared for them all.
I loved the documents that were attached to this book. They showed how real the story was. They brought everything to reality when it kind of got unbelievable. The music that the author cited was very much appreciated. It kind of gave the soundtrack of what was happening.
There is nothing I disliked about it. My expectations were met and even exceeded. I would recommend it to people who love reading memoirs, nonfiction, and inspirational books. They would appreciate it.
With that said, I proudly rate this book four out of four stars. I didn’t detect any errors, giving me the impression that it was professionally edited.
******
Dying Well
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Mysteries by Graham Wilson
