by Lisa Niemi
First published 2012
Lisa Niemi Swayze opens her story at the moment grief threatens to overwhelm her. She has just lost Patrick Swayze, her husband of thirty four years, after his twenty one month fight against Stage IV pancreatic cancer. The couple first met as teenagers at his mother's dance studio. He was older and confident. She was beautiful but refused to idolize him. Their marriage weathered typical pressures but remained a passionate creative partnership. Lisa promised to stay with Patrick until death parted them, but she never fully grasped what that vow would demand. She describes caring for Patrick through his illness, making it through his final days, and simply trying to keep him comfortable. After his death, she faces the challenge of rebuilding her life without the person who defined her first half. Lisa writes about finding strength reserves she didn't know existed. The book explores how to move forward when grief makes each new day seem impossible.
Genres: grief, memoir, relationships, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
336 pages · Hardcover · Atria Books
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness