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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I don't purposely choose a book to read that is going to make me cry. This was read for the Book Club to which I belong.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this! It's a combination of three types of writing I enjoy: first, a discussion of books and how they impact and interact with our lives; second, a memoir of Schwalbe's experience seeing his mother deal with, and eventually die from, pancreatic cancer (with Being Mortal-esque reflections on longevity vs. quality of life); and finally, a biography of sorts of Schwalbe's mother, both her remarkable life and her philosophy of living. Mary Anne Schwalbe was a trailblazer and a tireless advocate for the needs of refugees and those living in war-torn countries, particularly women and children, as well as a Christian, an involved parent, and a friend to everyone. The descriptions of her proclivity to chat up strangers everywhere she went, as well as her selflessness laced with steel, reminded me strongly of my own grandmother.
The criticisms of this book are fascinating to me because they seem to depend on what the reader expected to get from the book: either the book had too many detailed descriptions of the books they read, or not enough description, or too much medical information, or not enough, and so on. Having gone in with no expectations, I was delighted by the way no one part outweighed any other, and they all tied together, so the discussions of books framed both what was happening with Mary Anne's cancer treatment and how her son reflected on her life. There are some wonderful passages in which mother and son discuss service, philanthropy, and quality of life: How can you ever feel like you're doing enough for others when there's always more you can be doing? How do you justify spending money on your own quality of life when there are others in need?
The discussions of books were somehow written so that if I hadn't read the book in question, I didn't feel anything was spoiled, but if I had, I could get a pretty comprehensive idea of what aspects the Schwalbes liked or didn't like. Just like I enjoy participating in book clubs and reading others' reviews, I like hearing other people's thoughtful reflections on books I've read, even when I don't agree with them. I thought the incorporation of book discussions into what is otherwise a memoir and biography was well done, and the discussions themselves were carefully written in a skillful way.
The audiobook narrator for this book was fine, except that he had odd pronunciations for certain words, places, and names that occasionally distracted me from the text. I did appreciate how he adopted a different tone or accent whenever reading a passage quoting from a page, so it was almost always clear where the quotation ended and the main narration resumed.
I'm not sure if this is a book I will come back to, but I very much enjoyed the experience of reading it and will probably find myself thinking back on some of its themes in the future.
The criticisms of this book are fascinating to me because they seem to depend on what the reader expected to get from the book: either the book had too many detailed descriptions of the books they read, or not enough description, or too much medical information, or not enough, and so on. Having gone in with no expectations, I was delighted by the way no one part outweighed any other, and they all tied together, so the discussions of books framed both what was happening with Mary Anne's cancer treatment and how her son reflected on her life. There are some wonderful passages in which mother and son discuss service, philanthropy, and quality of life: How can you ever feel like you're doing enough for others when there's always more you can be doing? How do you justify spending money on your own quality of life when there are others in need?
The discussions of books were somehow written so that if I hadn't read the book in question, I didn't feel anything was spoiled, but if I had, I could get a pretty comprehensive idea of what aspects the Schwalbes liked or didn't like. Just like I enjoy participating in book clubs and reading others' reviews, I like hearing other people's thoughtful reflections on books I've read, even when I don't agree with them. I thought the incorporation of book discussions into what is otherwise a memoir and biography was well done, and the discussions themselves were carefully written in a skillful way.
The audiobook narrator for this book was fine, except that he had odd pronunciations for certain words, places, and names that occasionally distracted me from the text. I did appreciate how he adopted a different tone or accent whenever reading a passage quoting from a page, so it was almost always clear where the quotation ended and the main narration resumed.
I'm not sure if this is a book I will come back to, but I very much enjoyed the experience of reading it and will probably find myself thinking back on some of its themes in the future.
Interesting premise and I came away with a list of titles that I would like to read. I also felt like this was an extremely privileged family, regardless of his mother's humanitarian efforts.
A loving tribute to the author's mother and how books were a vehicle for them to talk about anything and everything.
This book was so heartwarming and inspiring, and you can never go wrong with people who just love books!
This story was incredibly sentimental and yet matter-of-fact. I enjoyed reading about how this family came together in a time of trial.
I think this is worth a re-read. For a book lover touched by cancer . . . so many perfect moments. Cancer books can be so consuming but this one really gave voice to the hardness and softness of the cancer experience. The author's mother was a fascinating woman. Her life and her volunteerism were inspiring.
I finished this book with a list of books I want to read (the Schwalbe's have good taste!) This memoir and all the books discussed are a beautiful living testament to a mother lost.
I finished this book with a list of books I want to read (the Schwalbe's have good taste!) This memoir and all the books discussed are a beautiful living testament to a mother lost.
Touching and thought-provoking, and a reminder of the importance of books and reading and kindness and love. Recommended.
*He was the smartest and best-read person any of us had ever know, but he wore his learning so lightly and had such curiosity about other people that he had the ability to make everyone around him feel smart and well-read.*
*She was, she said. Very sad. But she was also looking forward to being back in New York. "The world is complicated," she added. "You don't have to have one emotion at a time."
*"Everyone doesn't have to do everything," she told me. "People forget you can also express yourself by what you choose to admire and support. I've had so much pleasure from beautiful and challenging things created by other people, things I could never make or do. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
*This, I finally realized, was how Mom was able to focus when I was not. It was how she was able to be present with me, present with the people at a benefit or the hospital. She felt whatever emotions she felt, but feeling was never a useful substitute for doing, and she never let the former get in the way of the latter. If anything, she used her emotions to motivate her and help her concentrate. The emphasis for her was always on doing what needed to be done. I had to learn this lesson while she was still there to teach me.*
*He was the smartest and best-read person any of us had ever know, but he wore his learning so lightly and had such curiosity about other people that he had the ability to make everyone around him feel smart and well-read.*
*She was, she said. Very sad. But she was also looking forward to being back in New York. "The world is complicated," she added. "You don't have to have one emotion at a time."
*"Everyone doesn't have to do everything," she told me. "People forget you can also express yourself by what you choose to admire and support. I've had so much pleasure from beautiful and challenging things created by other people, things I could never make or do. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
*This, I finally realized, was how Mom was able to focus when I was not. It was how she was able to be present with me, present with the people at a benefit or the hospital. She felt whatever emotions she felt, but feeling was never a useful substitute for doing, and she never let the former get in the way of the latter. If anything, she used her emotions to motivate her and help her concentrate. The emphasis for her was always on doing what needed to be done. I had to learn this lesson while she was still there to teach me.*