The End of Your Life Book Club: Summary and book reviews of The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, plus links to an excerpt from The End of Your Life Book Club and a biography of Will Schwalbe.
The End of Your Life Book Club
by Will Schwalbe
Hardcover: Oct 2012,
352 pages.
Paperback: 4 Jun 2013,
352 pages.
The inspiring story of a son and his dying mother, who form a "book club" that brings them together as her life comes to a close.
Mary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when Will casually asks her what she's reading. The conversation they have grows into tradition: soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting room. The ones they choose range from classic to popular, from fantastic to spiritual, and we hear their passion for reading and their love for each other in their intimate and searching discussions.
A profoundly moving testament to the power of love between a child and parent, and the power of reading in our lives.
Some of the recent comments posted about The End of Your Life Book Club. Join the discussion! You can see the full discussion here.
Article and picture of author and mother in USA Today
dorothyt, I was debating on whether to comment on Will's good looks - if it was appropriate or not - and since you did I feel free to say I think he's adorable!
;-p
Lisa - lisag
Audio version of EOYLFB
I love CD books for long car rides but my commute to work is all of about five minutes. I know, you hate me! When I had to drive back and forth to grad school (an hour each way) time went so quickly listening to books. I loved that.
I also have... - lisag
Books as a bridge
Friendships and conversations can easily be started with, "Have you read - - - -". Books can also give understanding of problems and examples for solutions in problem discussion. I have formed friendships over books and had grand times in book... - jacquelynh
Does Mary Anne ever think of herself as brave?
Paula, I'm sure Will would just point to his mother as an example of bravery and I agree with your definition of brave. It's about not letting anything stop you from pursuing your dream, no matter how scared you may feel and despite limiting... - lisag
How does religious belief help Mary Anne? How do you think it might have helped Will?
I think Mary Anne found extraordinary comfort from her faith. I was glad that she didn't force Will to see things her way, but I think Will also was comforted that his mother had that faith. I am not involved in any religion and run from folks who... - Pepper
Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will
I think all the comments are interesting but it seems to me that Mary Ann was perhaps trying to keep something for herself as an individual. So often - women especially I think - become identified as someone's wife or mother and their self seems... - dorothym
Overall, what did you think of The End of Your Life Book Club?
sandrah: I'm sorry that I misinterpreted your words. I think there is a drawback to online discussions--once you write something it's there, and no tone of voice or inflection tempers our words. - dorothyt
What a powerful read!
I agree. A few weeks before Christmas each year, my book group meets at a restaurant for lunch and a book exchange. Always great fun. This past Christmas, i had been so touched by EOYLBC I had to share it with other readers so I took it as a... - jwbriggs13
What do you feel is the central theme of the book?
I'm only about a third of the way through the book, but it seems to me that communication is the main theme of this book, and the means of communication for Will and his mother, Mary Anne, is literature. In their "book club" discussions, their... - paula
What message does the book cover give us?
I'll admit, if I consider a book cover to be hideous I often will avoid the book. You can tell a lot from the cover, despite the old adage to the contrary! If it had, say, a shirtless man with sculpted muscles you couldn't pay me to touch it.... - lisag
What was Mary Anne's agenda?
I think Mary Anne was trying to give one last connection and memory to Will. Reading had always been a big part of their relationship and this was a nice way of connecting together one last time. - melissap
Why does Mary Anne always read a book's ending first?
I like lisag's idea about reading book reviews. The trick is, of course, finding reviews that are written properly. She has given me ideas for the ones I occasionally write. - dorothyt
Will Schwalbe answers questions about The End of Your Life Book Club
Thanks, Lisa! It's been really fun chatting with you and some of your fellow BookBrowsers! You gave me a lot to think about. And I promise to keep that journal in 2013 if you promise to read Stegner! I have a very, very strong feeling that you will... - willschwalbe
Will Schwalbe asks which books have meant the most to you and why?
I have been giving the same answer to this question for so many years, "To Kill A Mockingbird". This is written so beautifully and the characters are so alive and the story is just as important, even today, that it just never gets old or... - lynnw
Will Schwalbe's heart-wrenching memoir is difficult to categorize. It is at once a paean to his beloved mother, a treatise on the power of reading, and a handbook on how to live - and die. With direct prose and unflinching courage in the face of sadness, Schwalbe recreates the final months of his mother's life, offering a wealth of insight into how the written word can connect lives. (Reviewed by Sarah Sacha Dollacker).
Kirkus Reviews
In a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Schwalbe illustrates the power of the written word to expand our knowledge of ourselves and others.
Publisher's Weekly
Starred Review. With a refreshing forthrightness, and an excellent list of books included, this is an astonishing, pertinent, and wonderfully welcome work.
Dr. Sherwin Nuland, author of The Art of Aging and How We Die
Will Schwalbe's lyrical tribute to a life well-lived and a death graced with love and literature is a precious gift bestowed on all of us. What a unique and beautiful book this is, and how privileged we are to have it.
J.R. Moehringer, author of The Tender Bar
Will Schwalbe's brave and soulful elegy to his remarkable mother, his recollection of their sparklingly literate conversations, is a timely reminder that one exceptional person, or one exceptional book, can be a torch in the darkness. You'll turn the last page wishing you'd met Mary Anne Schwalbe, vowing to be worthy of her incandescent example - and promising yourself to read more.
Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with the Amber Eyes
I was so moved by this marvelous book. Schwalbe has done something extraordinary: made a personal journey public in the most engaging, funny and revealing way possible. It is a true meditation on what books can do.
David Rohde, co-author of A Rope and a Prayer
This book is a passionate, purposeful and elegant guide to human existence. Living life, learning life and loving life. And ultimately, accepting life's end. Mary Anne and Will have given us an exquisite gift. For a better life, better family and better world, read this moving elegy from a gifted and loving son to an extraordinary mother.
Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You
Will Schwalbe gives us two love stories in one: that of his relationship with his dynamo of a mother as her horizons shrink, and that of their mutual devotion to the printed word, infinitely and insistently engaging. Tender and touching and beautifully done." - Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra "At last a book that celebrates the role books play within our own story. Will Schwalbe has created a tender, moving and honest portrayal of the precious relationship between a mother and son—an ode to that beautiful thing called love.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by JeanT Disappoining Book Club I approached this book with much anticipation after having read all the reviews. Perhaps it's just me, but I found the book interesting, but not compelling. I would have hoped for more depth in the discussion of the various books' relevance to the... Read More
Rated of 5
by Louise Jolly The End of Your Life Book Club - You'll Love It!! Will Schwalbe has done a remarkable job with this novel, touching on the real feelings and issues surrounding the process of a close family member dying. They way in which this mother and son chose to deal with the heartbreak was truly amazing and... Read More
Rated of 5
by Diane S. The End of your lilfe book club A book about a dying woman could be extremely melancholy and I will admit to having teary eyes at various points in this book. Yet, this book is so much more, it is a celebration of a life that was lived well, a life that helped other people, the... Read More
Rated of 5
by Dorothy T. More than a book about books “How could anyone who loves books not love a book that is itself so in love with books?” (page 125).
I was intrigued by the title of this book and expected that it would deal with reading and books, and since I love books and reading myself,... Read More
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Kirkus Reviews
Dr. Sherwin Nuland, author of The Art of Aging and How We Die
of 5
by JeanT
of 5
by Louise Jolly
Write your own review!
Mary Anne Schwalbe was a woman of many careers. She was a high school teacher; head of admissions at Harvard; and a founder, and later director, of the Women's Refugee Commission. Her work with the WRC was something she was passionate about through the end of her life.
