Robin Romm gets up close and very personal in this memoir that takes place during the last three weeks of her mother's life. It is gritty, gruesome, and anything but ordinary. I can't say I understand her relationship with her mother which is in turns tender, angry, frustrated and admiring, but I did understand that her feelings were not static and that's why the book is pretty darn good. This story may take place during the last 3 weeks of her mother's life, but her mother has been dying for 9 years--since she was first diagnosed with cancer. That is practically 1/3 of Robin's life. I think this book would have quite different had Romm written it when she was 40 or 60, looking back on the young woman she was as her mother was dying. But that's not what this story is about. It's about being in the moment (so much so that it's written in present tense), about what this experience was like day by day. I didn't identify with her experience, though my mother died when I was 31, but I found her honesty and emotion bracing and genuine. And I learned something that will modifyhow I sympathize with a friend losing a parent. This is a phenomenal; perhaps one of the best books I've ever read (high praise from me). Romm carries us with her through the journey of her mother's last three weeks battling cancer. Romm's talent shines in the way she expresses the furious love and anger that come with watching a loved one die. Anyone who has experienced love and loss will be amazed at how well Romm unflinchingly captures the raw emotion of the situation. Make sure you have tissues handy.
What do You think about Mercy Papers (2009)?
Great book - her emotions are very raw. It was refreshing to read with such honesty.
—Mosadi
This is a beautiful book. Romm is a fabulous writer.
—SiBella
Sad and beautiful and honest. A really good book.
—Message
