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arrowsartsandbooks's review
3.0
In the description, it says "This book is not about death and dying," which is true. This book is about different experiences that different people go through. Death is just one of the experiences, that we all happen to share. The one story about Pi really touched my heart, it was so touching.
spacerookie's review
5.0
The first thing that struck me about Signs of Life was the cover. Against a light peacock blue background, an illustration by Melanie van Kessel draws the eye—an intricate still-life of a bedroom, bursting with richness and depth. A curled-up cat and a crossword puzzle hint at hours spent in bed; the armchair and stethoscope suggest the presence of a carer; through the window, a gum-fringed view of distant mountains adds yet another layer of quiet beauty.
These notes resound with the stories inside. Signs of Life is an own-voices anthology told from the perspective of people experiencing mental and physical illness, and of people giving care. When I first saw the call-out for submissions by editor, writer and physician Dr Sarah Sasson back in 2019, I was moved by the theme. After reading the collection, I can see that Dr Sasson has put together this anthology with great empathy and care.
There are more than twenty stories within: a mixture of fiction, auto-fiction, and memoir, with an astonishing scope. Although the stories are diverse in tone and nature, all of them deal with aspects of life, illness, loss, and caregiving. Mental health and neurological illnesses feature in many, as do cancer and cognitive decline. Bursting with wit and honesty are ‘Create It Away’ by Katie Danis, an account of living with Tourette Syndrome, and D.E.L.’s ‘Win a Date with John Mayer!’, an experience of psychosis. The stories told from the perspective of carers, including Janey Runci’s ‘The Man From St Jude’s’ and Darci Flatley’s ‘My Mother, the Gardenia’, are acutely moving. The evocative prose and unforgettable metaphor of a leaking roof from Al Campbell’s ‘Does He Feel Warm?’ will stay with me for a long time. Stories such as ‘Anne,’ ‘Snowdrops’, and ‘Year Sixty-Eight’ address death and grief with deep tenderness.
Each of the stories offers a valuable perspective. There is no oversimplification here. Unbearable and lifechanging experiences play out on the page; there’s rage and despair and fear and helplessness, without neat resolutions or moralising. The honesty of these writers, and the nuanced treatment of complex emotions, make Signs of Life a moving, cathartic, uplifting experience for the reader.
Ultimately, Signs of Life addresses things that are inextricably woven with all our lives. We will all, at some point, be a patient or a carer, or both. Sharing these stories is powerful and important—it can reduce isolation, combat stigma, shed light on weaknesses in the healthcare system, and be healing for both the writer and the reader. These writers have demonstrated that alongside change, loss, grief, and illness, there is courage, beauty, renewal, love, and a discovery of what it means to be human. I would highly recommend Signs of Life to anyone with an experience of illness and or caregiving—that is to say, everyone.
These notes resound with the stories inside. Signs of Life is an own-voices anthology told from the perspective of people experiencing mental and physical illness, and of people giving care. When I first saw the call-out for submissions by editor, writer and physician Dr Sarah Sasson back in 2019, I was moved by the theme. After reading the collection, I can see that Dr Sasson has put together this anthology with great empathy and care.
There are more than twenty stories within: a mixture of fiction, auto-fiction, and memoir, with an astonishing scope. Although the stories are diverse in tone and nature, all of them deal with aspects of life, illness, loss, and caregiving. Mental health and neurological illnesses feature in many, as do cancer and cognitive decline. Bursting with wit and honesty are ‘Create It Away’ by Katie Danis, an account of living with Tourette Syndrome, and D.E.L.’s ‘Win a Date with John Mayer!’, an experience of psychosis. The stories told from the perspective of carers, including Janey Runci’s ‘The Man From St Jude’s’ and Darci Flatley’s ‘My Mother, the Gardenia’, are acutely moving. The evocative prose and unforgettable metaphor of a leaking roof from Al Campbell’s ‘Does He Feel Warm?’ will stay with me for a long time. Stories such as ‘Anne,’ ‘Snowdrops’, and ‘Year Sixty-Eight’ address death and grief with deep tenderness.
Each of the stories offers a valuable perspective. There is no oversimplification here. Unbearable and lifechanging experiences play out on the page; there’s rage and despair and fear and helplessness, without neat resolutions or moralising. The honesty of these writers, and the nuanced treatment of complex emotions, make Signs of Life a moving, cathartic, uplifting experience for the reader.
Ultimately, Signs of Life addresses things that are inextricably woven with all our lives. We will all, at some point, be a patient or a carer, or both. Sharing these stories is powerful and important—it can reduce isolation, combat stigma, shed light on weaknesses in the healthcare system, and be healing for both the writer and the reader. These writers have demonstrated that alongside change, loss, grief, and illness, there is courage, beauty, renewal, love, and a discovery of what it means to be human. I would highly recommend Signs of Life to anyone with an experience of illness and or caregiving—that is to say, everyone.
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