by Scott Simon
First published 2015
Scott Simon sits beside his mother's hospital bed in July 2013, watching the woman who raised him alone prepare for death. His mother lived a glamorous life in the Mad Men era, working nightclubs, modeling, dating mobsters and movie stars. Now, as machines beep around them in the ICU, mother and son share stories from their decades together. Simon begins posting updates on Twitter, capturing their conversations and memories in 140 characters. His posts spread far beyond his usual followers as readers connect with his raw honesty about loss. Between hospital visits and sleepless nights, Simon remembers his mother's humor and strength. She taught him to be honest, kind, and entertaining through her own example. Their final conversations reveal the depth of their bond and the ways she shaped him. This memoir expands those viral tweets into a fuller portrait of love between parent and child.
Genres: family-life, grief, memoir, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: parent-child, raw-honesty
Setting: ICU, Mad Men Era
Period: 2013, Decades
256 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness