Present Perfect Books, 2001
When Blanche Stone was diagnosed with bone cancer, her daughter interrupted an unusual life—in a Buddhist monastery—to become a full-time caregiver. With practical wisdom, humor and an eye for telling detail, Susan relates their experiences sharing a house, dealing with finances, participating in family holiday rituals, finding ways to ease Blanche’s discomfort as her health declined, gratefully accepting the support of the local hospice, and coming to a greater appreciation of each other as individuals. Readers of any faith (or none) can benefit from these accounts of living moment by moment, responding without preconception to evolving situations, embracing one’s own needs along with the needs of a person facing death. The memoir is, as authors Stephen and Ondrea Levine comment, “an exquisite exploration of the heart.” The book was nominated for the 2001 book-of-the-year award by Foreword Magazine.
This book is currently out of print but is available for purchase on Amazon.com.