Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this quietly beautiful book by Sarah Perry. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!
The author's father-in-law, David, is diagnosed with cancer and dies only 9 days later. This story is the account of her and her husband tending to his father in his last days.
Having lost my mother this year, this book rang so true and was so touching on many levels. The author goes through each of David's end days, describing the factual parts of his care as well as the emotional and spiritual. I loved how she went from not being able to imagine performing intimate care to feeling all the women carers before her, extending an arm to help her do what needed to be done. Then, counting that as a gift to be performed for someone, also knowing that someone will someday be doing it for her. It was interesting seeing the difference between the Hospice care David received and what I personally experienced in the US. I felt bad that the family had to be the ones to make certain calls and decisions, and even had to go out and get the morphine prescriptions. But at its heart, it shows that there is no ordinary man. Everyone is important and we all go down the same paths, but we can help others with love, dignity, and respect.
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