This was a book that I just happened upon during a recent visit to the library. Not sure why my eyes were drawn to it, or why I pulled it from the shelf and began to peruse it. But that is what happened, and yes, I went ahead and took the book and checked it out.
You know what? I'm glad that I did.
Pinborough writes a brutally honest book. It is a short read, true. In fact, some particularly fast readers (which does not include me, admittedly) could probably even read this from cover to cover in one sitting, if they really want to. Yet, it is absolutely packed with everything that you could really want in a book. There are laughs and heartbreaks. There is beauty. And yes, as the title of the book suggests, there is death. More excruciatingly, there is the slow process of dying, and watching somebody close to you with away, in what too often turns out to be a surprisingly slow process.
There are characters in this book, and despite the shortness in length, the characters feel real and true. You almost feel like you really get to know each of them, but especially the narrator and her father, as well as her sister, Penny, and one of her three brothers, Dave. They are all flawed, and all very human. Staying true to this, you feel the tensions that seem to polarize them in ways both explosive and far more subtle. You also learn the backstory of painful lessons and deep regret over past experiences and inactions, and trying to come to terms with them.
Again, a short read, but one well worth the effort. Highly recommended!
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