R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on 3/20/2017 + 1458 more book reviews

This is a read that touches the heart and makes the end of life more endurable. If you've read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry you will probably enjoy this novel. It's the flip side of the story. Queenie tells her tale, a story of love for a married man who doesn't know how she feels, a story of waiting for him to say goodbye, and a story of dying slowly in a hospice. I found the tale sensitive and emotional.

The caretakers in the hospice where Queenie waits for death are outstanding, listening with patience and kindness. No matter how ill, angry and/or withdrawn a patient may be they listen with understanding. This is a place that is alive with laughter, ideas and thoughts. The residents are like a family and grieve with depth when one of them is lost.

For me, one quote sums the author's intent and belief about dying in a hospice. Sister Mary Iconnou says to Queenie when she is depressed: "Pardon me, but you are here to live until you die. There is a significant difference." It is she who encourages Queenie to write about her life to share with Harold when he arrives. Indeed, the residents are drawn into Harold's journey and wait with excitement for his appearance. It was an uplifting story.

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