by Rory Feek
First published 2017
Rory Feek opens his story as a country songwriter whose life changed when his wife Joey received a cancer diagnosis. The disease spread quickly through Joey's body while their growing music career brought them national attention. Rory started writing on his blog thislifeilive.com without knowing why he felt compelled to share their story. The purpose became clear as Joey's condition worsened. He invited readers into their final months together, documenting what he calls "the long goodbye." Their three children, Heidi, Hopie, and Indiana, stayed close throughout Joey's illness. Rory reveals how their simple lifestyle and deep faith sustained them during the hardest period of their lives. He shows readers the unexpected blessings that emerged from knowing death was approaching. The book follows Rory's journey from his difficult early years through finding love with Joey, then losing her. He examines what it means to rebuild after experiencing perfect happiness and how that loss shapes everything that follows.
Genres: family-life, biography-memoir, 21st-century, christian-living
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
252 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Nelson
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness