First published 2023
Hadley Vlahos works as a hospice nurse, caring for patients in their final weeks and days. She grew up in a strict religious household but began questioning her beliefs after a friend died suddenly in high school. When she became pregnant at nineteen, her community rejected her. She enrolled in nursing school to support herself and her baby, eventually finding her calling in palliative care. Vlahos shares stories from her work with dying patients. She describes a woman who questioned her faith only near death, an elderly man who saw visions of his deceased daughter, and a young patient who regretted worrying too much about others' opinions. Through these encounters, Vlahos learns how caring for the dying teaches lessons about living. She shows how end-of-life care can bring wisdom, comfort, and redemption to both patients and caregivers.
Genres: family-life, medical, contemporary, adult-fiction, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption, second-chance
288 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books