"This book is remarkable and should be a required read for all those facing the mortality of a loved one." - James Wolfe, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
Everyone facing death-their own or a loved one's-benefits from this love story and practical guide in one.
As a hospice doctor, Bob cared daily for dying patients. At home, his wife, Jen, listened to the stories of patients and families, layering her understanding of death with the early losses of her own brother and mother. Then, the man who had spent a 40-year career caregiving was diagnosed with advanced, metastatic cancer.
An insightful blend of art and compassion, patience and endearing honesty, this book comprises Jen's digital art journal, which chronicles this time in their marriage. What began as a visceral, self-care compulsion within days of diagnosis became notes, collages, and images revealing the raw, luminescent reflections of a caregiver-turned-widow.
Beyond the practical guidance and solace offered by an insider, Jen's journal reminds us how to live presently during our darkest hours, honor grief, and discover-even after devastating loss-ways to forge forward.
"This book is remarkable and should be a required read for all those facing the mortality of a loved one." - James Wolfe, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
"A beautiful tribute to caregivers and survivors." - Rachel Reichblum, founder of That Good Grief (@thatgoodgrief)
"I am spellbound by this wonderful book. I finished it in one evening because I couldn't stop turning pages to see what special thoughts and collaged items were next. It made me cry . . . but that's okay." - Diana B. Denholm, PhD, author of The Caregiving Wife's Handbook
"Altogether different from the many books which address grief and loss from psychological or philosophical points of view, The Hospice Doctor's Widow is a collage of experiences, documents, tips, and those thoughts many have but few acknowledge. O'Brien's singularly moving and beautiful book maps one woman's journey, illuminating the road that lies ahead for all of us." - Nina Corwin, LCSW, Author of The Uncertainty of Maps
"Eloquent and intimate. Informative without the trappings of self-help." - Marney Rich Keenan, retired career columnist for The Detroit News
"This raw and beautiful book describes loving someone that you know you will lose. Just as life is full of pain and joy, so is caregiving and navigating this 'other world' of life with a serious illness. The Hospice Doctor's Widow encourages early and honest conversations and can help with meaningful time together as well as preparations." - Sarah Beth Harrington, MD. Program Director - Palliative Care, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
"This resource fills a gap between what I provide for my patients and what their family caregivers need. I have kept my advance copy and loaned it to each of the caregivers for the three patients I recently diagnosed with ALS." - Robert Silzer, MD, Neurologist
"A very moving and lovely work, this is so different from other books I have read that chronicle the time spent with a loved one in preparation for dying. It is wise while pragmatic, beautiful and accessible, loving and personal without venturing into the trivial." - Stephen "Steppe" Mette, MD, Senior Vice Chancellor for UAMS Health and Chief Executive Officer for UAMS Medical Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
"I smiled. I teared. I loved it. A heartwarming love story and practical guide in one. Everyone facing death, their own or a loved one's, could profit from the wisdom shared here." - Jon Mourot, PhD, Counseling Psychologist
"There are no words to convey both the practical and emotive power of this book. An incredibly difficult, dark subject filtered through a unique prism, this is something not only helpful but very, very beautiful." - Josh Gottlieb, Yogi