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)

One of the best!

I loved this book for more reasons than I can list! Touching, educational, inspirational are the top three!

Fantastic

My reading list has quadrupled, and the basic story about a love between a mother and son is touching.

Good read

A new perspective on our life at the end. I really liked the narrator , easy listening.

If you love books this give ideas

I gave this a 4 star rating because of the mother in the story that reminded me of my mother. Both Mary Anne and my mom had such a great attitude about life. It would be hard reading for someone who has lost a loved one to cancer. I started a reading list from this books suggestions!

Great Idea, but in execution - ok.

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

I've been through this with my mother - everyone's story is different - we didn't read books, for example. But I think it's important to look at end of life stories as a combination of happy and sad, and to know that while it's frightening, it is something you can get through. So the relevance.

Would you be willing to try another book from Will Schwalbe? Why or why not?

Would depend on the subject.

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

I'm on the fence about him as narrator. I thought Mary Ann's voice was a bit falsetto.

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

The end.

Any additional comments?

I thought the book lacked emotion. As I said, we're all different, but I didn't get a sense of how he really felt. It was all very calm, clean, upper class white Protestant people (sorry, I don't mean to offend), and yet, this was a woman who spent a lot of time in refugee camps. I was looking for more feeling.

But, given that it was a book about books, I did think of reading some of these books.

How lucky is he!

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

Since I am not close to my mother, I really envy those who are! This book is a tribute to the love of a son to his mother. It's absolutely beautifully written, and I kept hoping the ending would be different.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The End of Your Life Book Club?

Because the book really covers so many life events it's difficult to pinpoint a favorite. I just loved getting to know the mother through the eyes of her loving son.

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

This was my first.

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

The mother's ability to so articulately describe her feelings toward death. I hope I am that graceful if ever faced with such a life event.

Any additional comments?

This is a fantastic book. Don't let the "death" topic discourage you. It's really a book about a fantastic life.

Not The End But A Beginning

Here is a heart warming story of a wonderful relationship of a mother and her son. The relationship is strengthened during the time of the mom's treatments. Not only do we get an inside look at a very personal time but we are led into a world of literature that we can share with others. The message is clear: Share books with loved ones NOW and reap the benefits for a long time to come.

Don't Miss This One

This is a book no one should miss. Mary Ann Schwalbe was a remarkable woman. There's probably a little bit of her in each of us and this book could help us discover it. I will definitely listen to this book again and again and will try to read as many of the books she and her son Will read.

Take Notes!

A son's love story written for his mom, complete with a book-lover's dream wish list. I wish I had been where I could have written down some of the books' names, instead of driving down the road. Beautiful story, inspiring mother and son.

Love of Books. Love of Family. Perfect Combination

Any additional comments?

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Will Schwalbe writes in a very accessible manner that is refreshing. He’s a book publisher from a well-educated and influential family. His world is changed however when it is learned that his mother, the cog in the family is diagnosed with cancer and is given roughly six months to live. They are a family of readers, so it isn’t a shock that he asks her “what are you reading?” This begins a strange book club, with only two members, a son and his mother. The books they read are fantastic to be sure, but it’s how the books help them cope that inspires me. It gives them an avenue to approach difficult conversations.

My mother has Muscular Dystrophy and it is very hard to watch her muscles deteriorate and pain increase. I don’t know how many more years she has left. A difference between Schwalbe and I is that I’ve had 17 years to prepare mentally. But you really can’t prepare for it. This book helps. It shows that just being there as a family is most important, to make them feel special. I love my mom so much and hope she lives many more years, but this book helped me realize I’m less alone and showed me things to say…

A sad book to be sure, but less sad than I’ve probably made it out to be. It’s really a story of love. A love of family and a love of books. Is there a better combination?