The End of Your Life Book Club

A Memoir

By: Will Schwalbe

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

"What are you reading?"

That's the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a "book club" that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it's the opposite of dying.

Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other - and rediscover their lives - through their favorite books. When they read, they aren't a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a son taking a journey together. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life: Will's love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.

©2012 Will Schwalbe (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"With a refreshing forthrightness, and an excellent list of books included, this is an astonishing, pertinent, and wonderfully welcome work." ( Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"A wonderful book about wonderful books and mothers and sons and the enduring braid between them. Like the printed volumes it celebrates, this story will stay with you long after the last page." (Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Time Keeper)

"Will Schwalbe's lyrical tribute to a life well-lived and a death graced with love and literature is a precious gift bestowed on all of us. What a unique and beautiful book this is, and how privileged we are to have it." (Sherwin B. Nuland, author of The Art of Aging and How We Die)

Never Grabbed Me

I really wanted to like this book. My wife has a chronic illness and found this book to be very moving. So, in an effort to bond with her, I agreed to listen to it. Hard as I tried to like it several factors got in the way. The first is the narration. Although Harding is a good narrator, I think his voice is better suited for a different type of book - not one that requires you to accompany someone with a terminal illness on their final journey. Regrettably, Schwalbe also disrupts this process by going back and forth between several different narrative themes that work at cross purposes - at least for me.

The first theme is the impending loss of his mother. This is the sweetest portion of the book and the one I expected the book to focus on. The emotional impact of this theme is significantly lessened, however, by Scwalbe's efforts to alternatingly tell his mother's life story, his story, and the story of how much the two of them loved books. As Schwalbe jumps from book to book, I was initially interested, but eventually felt irritated because I realized he was avoiding the most important theme - the loss of his mother. To the extent that you can accept that he had an intellectualized relationship with his mother, and that the books were a metaphor for elements of their relationship, it seemed to help.

Ultimately, this story felt emotionally detached and the author seemed so distracted by all of the books that are mentioned that he had trouble maintaining an emotional connection to "the end of your life" part of The End of Your Life Book Club.

A great book lover's life

Would you listen to The End of Your Life Book Club again? Why?

Yes. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great review of some of the books I had read.

What other book might you compare The End of Your Life Book Club to and why?

I am not sure.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Harding’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But I will look for other books performed by him.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The discussion of the The Bite of Mango was very compelling.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jeff did a great job in his performance.

Much more enjoyable book than title would indicate

HIghly recommend this for anyone who likes talking about books. I bought this book on sale because I really do like to know how people choose to read the books they read and what they think about them. However, I hated the title so much I hesitated for a long time because it sounded so morbid. Also, I thought it sounded like the author was marketing his book on the basis of his mother's cancer. In fact the book is a beautiful tribute to his mother and the discussions are exactly the kinds of things I like to know about other readers and what they read. But the title was quite a put-off.

I also wasn't wild about the narration because the narrator's voice did not seem to suit either of the main characters, Will Schwalbe or his mother, although his pace and pronunciation were very clear and would otherwise have been fine. He just sounded like a professional narrator rather than someone emotionally involved in either the books he read or the relationship with his mother. Also the narrator used a vocalization for a woman's voice to signal the mother's words that was unpleasant and priggish. I admit it's difficult to portray a 75 year old woman and her son in the same voice, but I think if a vocalization had to be used it could have been done in a less irritating manner.

That said, I had no trouble listening to the entire book which discusses many books I have read or planned to read, and some books I will try because I enjoyed the discussion of them in this book. The discussions were exceptionally interesting and on target and even the mother's illness which originally made me hesitant about reading this book ultimately gave the book meaning. However the title still seems like something written by a marketing person. But this is a very good book I highly recommend to enthusiastic readers.

Still highly recommended book for anyone who enjoys discussing books.

What a wonderful story of family, love, adventure

What did you love best about The End of Your Life Book Club?

Will Schwalbe tells a story of human experience, life, love, family, and terminal illness that is compelling and heartwarming an not a lick depressing. Books give us so much understanding of the human condition, and I enjoyed hearing his and his mother's perspectives on stories I have read and those now on my to-read list!

Reads like a diary.

Would you try another book from Will Schwalbe and/or Jeff Harding?

I am not sure I would be eager to read another book by Will Schwalbe. Since this book is likely to be very unique for him, it would be hard to judge this book against others he may write.I thought the narrator did a fine job.

Would you recommend The End of Your Life Book Club to your friends? Why or why not?

I would only recommend this book to those who really love books or are perhaps coping with the loss of someone. I don't think this book is for everyone. It reads like a diary or book report. The best parts of the book are when we learn about Will's mother's life leading up to the cancer. You could also use this book as a "must read list" before you die, since it references so many great books.There are no plot twists here. No real "aha" moments. It just quietly chronicles the life of an extraordinary women.

What does Jeff Harding bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brought life to the individual voices in the book. I thought he did a good job.

Did The End of Your Life Book Club inspire you to do anything?

There are a few books referenced in it that I would like to read now.

Loved This and Will Nailed It!

My mom passed from pancreatic cancer also and we, too, loved to read books and discuss them. I very much identified with so much in this book. Will’s dry sense of humor, the conflicting emotions one feels as you accompany a loved one on this difficult journey, and his mom’s incredible spirit hit the mark with me. Excellent! Highly recommend and Mary Anne inspired me to be a better person and whine less.

This book is wonderful story of a life well lived!

Great narrator. I loved the books they read, some i had read, others i added to my list!

A book about living

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Maybe a little less detail about some of the books they read so I can discover them for myself.

What did you like best about this story?

Having a sick and dying parent is difficult for most but Will Schwalbe found a way to take the short time they had left together and made it count. Will and his mom used their love of reading as bridges to conversations that they may not every have had. Throughout the book are synopsis and descriptions of various other books that they read together and now I have books to add to my TBR list.

This book isn't just about reading though, its about relationships, its about whats important in your life, taking stock and ultimately its about dying. Its about what its like to be the son of woman who is going through stage 4 cancer, its about coming to grips with the thought of losing a parent, and looking at your own life and figuring out if it is what you really want and what changes you can make to make it better. Its about living in the moment and not wasting opportunities. Its also a beautiful account of his mothers life and her passions for helping others and her dedication to refugees.

Will and his mom found a way to share meaningful conversations and learn more about each other through books and the topics those books brought up.

Did The End of Your Life Book Club inspire you to do anything?

It made me pause and wonder about the conversations I have with my mother which are usually more superficial or have something to do with work. It made think if there was anything I would want to talk to her about or learn about before its too late. Maybe it will make you pause and take stock a bit too.

A Thoughtful Book on Many Levels

This book dealt with a number of issues. It is the story of how a son and his mother deal with her terminal illness in a very loving, gentle, and respectful way. It is a story about the power of stories and books. And it is a story about a woman who chose to use the money and influence she had to make the world a better place, while keep a strong focus on her family who had great love and respect for her. It's a lovely and thoughtful book.

Definitely worth reading!

I liked this book, it is a very touching story! Strong woman. Inspiring, thought provoking!