Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

By: Jonathan Evison

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Benjamin Benjamin has lost virtually everything - his wife, his family, his home, and his livelihood. With few options, Ben enrolls in a night class called The Fundamentals of Caregiving, taught in the basement of a local church. There Ben is instructed in the art of inserting catheters and avoiding liability, about professionalism, and how to keep physical and emotional distance between client and provider. But when Ben is assigned to 19-year-old Trev, who is in the advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he discovers that the endless mnemonics and service plan checklists have done little to prepare him for the reality of caring for a fiercely stubborn, sexually frustrated adolescent. As they embark on a wild road trip across the American West to visit Trev's ailing father, a new camaraderie replaces the traditional boundary between patient and caregiver.

Bursting with energy, this big-hearted, soulful, and inspired novel ponders life's terrible surprises and the heart's uncanny capacity to mend and become whole again.

©2012 Jonathan Evison (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"A lively narrative with a poignant core and quirky, lonely characters." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Voice actor

They did a really great job reading this story. I listen to books when driving my daughter to school. She made a comment about how she enjoyed the different voices.

Real

Storytelling, the crevice between the future and the past. Limping but still moving. Turning about face to sit next a wall.

The Title Scared Me But......

I selected this book because I loved Jonathon Evison's book, All About Lulu. This book was even better. I was a little afraid because the title made me wonder if the book might be too sad with too many gruesome details about caregiving; yet, to the contrary, this book took the reader through a man's grief of losing his family as he adventured through his days as a caregiver. Ben, the father and caregiver, showed himself to be a father to all he came across as he helped his patient, Trev, come into his manhood and burst through the barriers of his disease. What a journey. Just loved it. This is the kind of fiction that keeps you coming back for more. I learned more about love, life and death while listening to exceptional reading voices and got to know some beautiful and interesting people. More please.

I enjoyed the dark humor.

We all have obstacles in life. It is up to us to decide whether we want to overcome them or not.

Strong language so unnecessary

I got so tired of being pummeled by the F-bomb in this book. About the time I was ready to stop reading it and switch to another book, the language suddenly cleaned up, and I enjoyed the rest of the story. If you have to rely on string language to appeal to younger readers, you’re doing yourself and your readers a disservice. There are other, much better and less offensive ways to engage readers.