The End of your life Book club by Will Schwalbe

This month, we aimed to delve into a book centered around book clubs, given our own participation in one. Selecting the right read proved challenging, but we ultimately decided on this particular title. Now, the question arises: Did our fellow participants derive enjoyment from this choice? Let’s uncover their thoughts and reactions.

Summary

«The End of Your Life Book Club» by Will Schwalbe is a memoir that chronicles the author’s journey with his mother, Mary Anne Schwalbe, who was battling terminal pancreatic cancer. Through shared readings and discussions of various books during Mary Anne’s chemotherapy sessions, the mother and son form a unique «book club» that brings them closer together as Mary Anne’s life draws to a close.

The memoir celebrates the power of literature to connect people and provide solace during difficult times. It also serves as a tribute to Mary Anne’s courage, grace, and love, offering profound insights into caregiving, mourning, and the impact of reading on relationships and life experiences.

The book beautifully captures the essence of love between a parent and child, emphasizing the importance of cherishing moments and connections in the face of mortality.

Daily Nuggets

From few of our participants:

The writer said reading books have helped her discuss certain issues that concerns them in real life as regard to what the book talks about and they share this discussion among themselves. In sharing this discussion it enables them see ways out and how to apply them in their own life. Another thing to hold on to is the fact the writer’s mother have the ability to make firm decisions on the house and urge all of them to comply to it. This is a nice book. ~ Somtochukwu

Demilade says:

The current read centers on the power of literature,how it helps us navigate difficult situations and communicate our emotions well to the people we love and have around us. A lot of us try to be independent and silent during hard times with hope that we can handle everything ourselves when a small part of our burden can be eased by sharing our problems.

Another one from Oluwafemi:

I like the fact that the book in a way turned out like how his mother read (knowing the end from the beginning). In a way it says a lot about bonding – using books as an avenue to get deeper & closer. One part that struck me the most was in difficult situations. It’s better to say anything, than nothing and pretend that nothing happened. I, for one have been in this kinda situation many at times and would rather stay silent. All in all slow read for me due to other things but it’s a cool book.

Lastly, from Amarachi:

Setting things in motion and then being too proud and stubborn to apologize and to change course. It’s about thinking that being raised a certain way gives you the right to behave badly.

Lesson 1: Starting something doesn’t mean you need to finish it, although some people would say don’t start what you cannot finish but then sometimes we realize that certain things we are doing is just not for us or it’s not working out, it’s not bad to change course, changing course doesn’t mean you’re weak it just means that you’re strong enough to start again in another thing and excel.

2. Being raised a certain way or being pampered doesn’t give you the right to be behaving rude and untrained, even if you weren’t disciplined as a child, you’re grown enough to differentiate between wrong and right way to act, so this place is telling us all to behave accordingly like the proper adults that we are.

One of our participants wrote a review, read it here.

Ratings

Overall, our participants rated it 3.2/5.