Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Will Schwalbe wrote a wonderful tribute to his Renaissance mother, Mary Anne Schwalbe, who by the way reminded me of Laura in my book club. When Laura is in town, she is one of our most faithful participants, one who reads, attends and contributes to discussions. When she is not able to come to book club, it's because she is in Tanzania, Vietnam, Australia, and all over the world making it healthier and safer just like Mary Anne Schwalbe.
The End of Your Life Book Club was inspirational. I am enlightened from reading it, and it motivates me to be a better mother to my children. There are many things I want to convey from this book, and among them is, "When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think. What is the Lord asking of me in this moment in this situation?
From now on, nobody can get away with the excuse that they have no time to read. Mary Anne Schwalbe always made time to read books when she was raising three children while working full time as Admissions Director of Harvard University/Radcliffe, and she continued to make time for books when she devoted her time and energy to the International Rescue Committee and Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children. Books were still a big part of her life when she was simultaneously fighting Pancreatic Cancer and raising funds to build a library in Afghanistan.
I have always been frustrated with people turn down my recommendations of serious literature with the flippant comment, "Oh, that is too depressing. I won't read it." I have wondered if these people think they are immune to the ugly things that happen to human beings half way around the world? Do they think reading it is going to upset their PollyAnna World? Of course, I hope my family and I never personally encounter such evil as what the Sierra Leone girl endured in 'The Bite of the Mango' Chapter, but I have always thought it was important to expose and educate myself with realities of what goes on out there. My personal rating for this book went up several notches on page 151 where Will Schwalbe writes about a conversation he had with his mother about this very subject. It ends with this line, "Because when you read about it, it's easier to recognize...And what I love about Dickens is the way he presents all types of cruelty. You need to learn to recognize these things right from the start. Evil almost always starts with small cruelties."
Just as I was wistfully wondering about all the frequent flyer miles Mary Anne must have earned flying around the world a hundred times over, came this line, " You mustn't let my frequent flyer miles go to waste after I'm gone. I'll give you my passwords. Delta is for you; BA for your brother; American Airlines for your sister." I'm envious! I would love to have the opportunity to travel with all those miles at my disposal.
I understand that Mary Anne Schwalbe, and probably the author Will Schwalbe himself, were ardent supporters of President Barack Obama, and were probably ecstatic when he won the Nobel Peace Prize a few months into his Presidency. I cannot help but think that the Norwegian Nobel Committee overlooked a genuine and kind woman who truly made a difference and brought peace, love and joy everywhere she went whether it was a refuge camp in Thailand, elections in Bosnia, more refuge camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or in her own private book club with her son Will.
As for the books in the book club, it's a heavy selection of books, a handful of which I have read myself. I really enjoyed reading about the Schwalbes' perspectives and experiences with each book referred to in each chapter. My Dad had me read the short tale of the Appointment in Samarra many, many years ago. While the short but powerful tale stayed in my memories, the author and title didn't, so I was pleasantly surprised with its inclusion in The End of Your Life Book Club. I am grateful for my mother who has always talked to me about the books she is currently reading, and who is always willing to share them with me, including this very book!
It is nice to know that New Yorkers know how to throw a proper barbecue! Mary Anne's 74th birthday party at Daisy May's in NYC would win the approval of those of us in the Deep South!
One last note; When I finished the book, I prevailed upon Google to find out whether the library in Afghanistan ever got built, and was pleased to see that it became a reality.
The End of Your Life Book Club was inspirational. I am enlightened from reading it, and it motivates me to be a better mother to my children. There are many things I want to convey from this book, and among them is, "When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think. What is the Lord asking of me in this moment in this situation?
From now on, nobody can get away with the excuse that they have no time to read. Mary Anne Schwalbe always made time to read books when she was raising three children while working full time as Admissions Director of Harvard University/Radcliffe, and she continued to make time for books when she devoted her time and energy to the International Rescue Committee and Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children. Books were still a big part of her life when she was simultaneously fighting Pancreatic Cancer and raising funds to build a library in Afghanistan.
I have always been frustrated with people turn down my recommendations of serious literature with the flippant comment, "Oh, that is too depressing. I won't read it." I have wondered if these people think they are immune to the ugly things that happen to human beings half way around the world? Do they think reading it is going to upset their PollyAnna World? Of course, I hope my family and I never personally encounter such evil as what the Sierra Leone girl endured in 'The Bite of the Mango' Chapter, but I have always thought it was important to expose and educate myself with realities of what goes on out there. My personal rating for this book went up several notches on page 151 where Will Schwalbe writes about a conversation he had with his mother about this very subject. It ends with this line, "Because when you read about it, it's easier to recognize...And what I love about Dickens is the way he presents all types of cruelty. You need to learn to recognize these things right from the start. Evil almost always starts with small cruelties."
Just as I was wistfully wondering about all the frequent flyer miles Mary Anne must have earned flying around the world a hundred times over, came this line, " You mustn't let my frequent flyer miles go to waste after I'm gone. I'll give you my passwords. Delta is for you; BA for your brother; American Airlines for your sister." I'm envious! I would love to have the opportunity to travel with all those miles at my disposal.
I understand that Mary Anne Schwalbe, and probably the author Will Schwalbe himself, were ardent supporters of President Barack Obama, and were probably ecstatic when he won the Nobel Peace Prize a few months into his Presidency. I cannot help but think that the Norwegian Nobel Committee overlooked a genuine and kind woman who truly made a difference and brought peace, love and joy everywhere she went whether it was a refuge camp in Thailand, elections in Bosnia, more refuge camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or in her own private book club with her son Will.
As for the books in the book club, it's a heavy selection of books, a handful of which I have read myself. I really enjoyed reading about the Schwalbes' perspectives and experiences with each book referred to in each chapter. My Dad had me read the short tale of the Appointment in Samarra many, many years ago. While the short but powerful tale stayed in my memories, the author and title didn't, so I was pleasantly surprised with its inclusion in The End of Your Life Book Club. I am grateful for my mother who has always talked to me about the books she is currently reading, and who is always willing to share them with me, including this very book!
It is nice to know that New Yorkers know how to throw a proper barbecue! Mary Anne's 74th birthday party at Daisy May's in NYC would win the approval of those of us in the Deep South!
One last note; When I finished the book, I prevailed upon Google to find out whether the library in Afghanistan ever got built, and was pleased to see that it became a reality.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a lot about books in this book. If you don't like reading in general, I doubt this will convince you otherwise. The author keeps things interesting by interspersing stories about his mom and her illness, the lessons he learned from her and that she carried through her own life, and about their family.
I definitely skimmed; I wonder if a different format would have been more successful. Perhaps a short essay per book with associated tidbits of what he and his mom discussed in their "meeting"--which is almost what the book is, but it meanders a bit around each book/mom story for my taste. The portrait he painted of his mother did seem honest, if a little skewed toward her saintliness. Perhaps it says more about me than about him that reading about her charitable works got old after a bit.
I definitely skimmed; I wonder if a different format would have been more successful. Perhaps a short essay per book with associated tidbits of what he and his mom discussed in their "meeting"--which is almost what the book is, but it meanders a bit around each book/mom story for my taste. The portrait he painted of his mother did seem honest, if a little skewed toward her saintliness. Perhaps it says more about me than about him that reading about her charitable works got old after a bit.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I really liked it. I wish I had a relationship like Will has with his mother.
This book was too narrative for me (they did this and then they did this, etc.) rather than personal. I enjoyed hearing about all the books they read and why, but it could have been so much better.
A truly amazing read. High chance it will be my best book of the year. Fantastically written, and Schwalbe paints the portrait of his mother so well that I could completely envision and hear her. A book about books, a book about family, and a book about embracing life. I was disappointed to see it end.
Oh, and my to-read pile grew by like 50 as a result of it too :-)
Oh, and my to-read pile grew by like 50 as a result of it too :-)
This was a sweet book about the relationship between the author and his mother who is dying of pancreatic cancer. The story describes the books they shared while waiting for assorted medical appointments. The characters and their relationships are woven around the many books they read and discuss together. If you have read any of these shared books, you get drawn into the "bookclub" as well.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This is Will Schwalbe’s story about his mom, Mary Anne, his relationship with her, and the time they shared after she was diagnosed with cancer. Both of them readers, and lovers of books, they were a two person book club.
I wish I could share this book with my own mom, who also died after living with cancer. We had at times a difficult relationship but shared a love of reading, and it was often where we connected. Communication could be difficult, but we could always talk about books.
This is a book for book lovers. If you’ve ever shared a book you loved with someone, or if you’ve ever wished to have someone to talk books with, get a copy. If you want to be a better human, do better, don’t know where to begin- read it.
The End of Your Life Book Club will live in my heart always. My own copy has many notes written by me, passages underlined, and will be given to one of my grandchildren. It’s a book for sharing, and it will most likely lead you to at least a few books you want to read, or read again.
A beautiful must read.
I wish I could share this book with my own mom, who also died after living with cancer. We had at times a difficult relationship but shared a love of reading, and it was often where we connected. Communication could be difficult, but we could always talk about books.
This is a book for book lovers. If you’ve ever shared a book you loved with someone, or if you’ve ever wished to have someone to talk books with, get a copy. If you want to be a better human, do better, don’t know where to begin- read it.
The End of Your Life Book Club will live in my heart always. My own copy has many notes written by me, passages underlined, and will be given to one of my grandchildren. It’s a book for sharing, and it will most likely lead you to at least a few books you want to read, or read again.
A beautiful must read.
Mary Ann Schwalbe sounds like a very interesting person. I would have liked to meet her.
I was expecting this memoir to be overly sappy and depressing and was pleasantly surprised. While there were definitely some tearjerker moments, the book as a whole was about hope and family and the relationship between a dying woman and her grown son. It was interesting how they used books to discuss more intimate/awkward issues.
I've had friends with serious illnesses and can totally relate to the often helpless feeling and the need to be, or at least feel to be, useful.
Funky piece of timing. As I was reading this my own mother (who is NOT dying) and I started our own book club.
I was expecting this memoir to be overly sappy and depressing and was pleasantly surprised. While there were definitely some tearjerker moments, the book as a whole was about hope and family and the relationship between a dying woman and her grown son. It was interesting how they used books to discuss more intimate/awkward issues.
I've had friends with serious illnesses and can totally relate to the often helpless feeling and the need to be, or at least feel to be, useful.
Funky piece of timing. As I was reading this my own mother (who is NOT dying) and I started our own book club.
This is a memoir about how a love of books can help cope with death, bring people closer, and how through discussing books people can learn more about someone. Will's mother is diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer and while receiving treatment they fall upon their book club simply by accident. Will and his mother both love reading and often discuss and share books. With so many appointments and with the unknown of how long Mary will be alive they begin spending more of their time reading and sharing books.
I found this book to be many things. It was an exploration of coping with a dying parent, and trying to learn as much as possible about them. While also talking about the past and what they regret or did not regret. It was also about how two people come together in faith, when one is religious and one is not. By Will respecting his mother's faith and his mother while wishing her son had some tie to a faith never pushed him in her beliefs. Mary lived a full life spending much of it helping refugee's and even as she was dying much of her time was spent continuing her projects that she was so passionate about. While this book is about their book club, it is also about Mary's experiences and how they influenced her readings. Because of this, Will learns even more about his mother, her motivations, and who she was at her core.
I would recommend if you enjoy books about end of life experiences, bonding between one generation and the next, or if you enjoy books about books and how books can be influential in so many areas of life.
I found this book to be many things. It was an exploration of coping with a dying parent, and trying to learn as much as possible about them. While also talking about the past and what they regret or did not regret. It was also about how two people come together in faith, when one is religious and one is not. By Will respecting his mother's faith and his mother while wishing her son had some tie to a faith never pushed him in her beliefs. Mary lived a full life spending much of it helping refugee's and even as she was dying much of her time was spent continuing her projects that she was so passionate about. While this book is about their book club, it is also about Mary's experiences and how they influenced her readings. Because of this, Will learns even more about his mother, her motivations, and who she was at her core.
I would recommend if you enjoy books about end of life experiences, bonding between one generation and the next, or if you enjoy books about books and how books can be influential in so many areas of life.