Pip and Adam are happily married and delighted with their son Dylan. He's perfectly normal...until he isn't. At two, Dylan begins having headaches and stumbling and falling frequently. A brain tumor, surgery, chemotherapy, and more problems.
Handled with such skill and sensitivity, the heartbreaking story of a child and his parents never becomes maudlin. When the hospital decides that only palliative care is needed, both parents are devastated.
This is the story of Pip and Adam and Dylan. There is no hope of a good outcome--Dylan cannot be cured. Both parents love the child to distraction and have endured exhausting months of fear and sadness watching their son deteriorate. The dilemma they face is appalling, and when Pip and Adam can't agree on the way to proceed, the matter moves to the court system.
An unusual twist takes place after the court decision, "after the end." A powerful book that was nothing like what I expected, but was an emotional exploration of all the repercussions of love and loss and resilience.
(The tenderness with which Mackintosh writes is enormous and has something to do with her having lost a child to meningitis.)
Read in April; blog review scheduled for June 12.
NetGalley/Penguin Group
Literary Fiction. June 25, 2019. Print length: 400 pages.
I'm currently reading this and am halfway through the book. Such an emotional read.
ReplyDeleteIt is emotional. What a decision to have to make for a beloved child.
DeleteI've noticed this one and have read other books by the author. I'm surprised too at the nature of the tale, but now I definitely want to read it. As I was reading through your thoughts I wondered if she had personal experience with losing a child. So sad. Thanks for mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed her other books, and as different and difficult as this one is--it is still worth it. It truly puts you in the other person's shoes.
DeleteThis does sound like a very emotional read. And so sad! Watching a child having to deal with any kind of cancer is so heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteAnd watching parents come to terms with such an awful situation is also heartbreaking.
DeleteI've only read I Let You Go from Mackintosh but this sounds like a real departure from her crime novels.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great departure from the psychological suspense books she's previously written. I'm glad I read it, though, and I was impressed.
DeleteOh goodness this sounds so heart-breaking! But I want to read it because I've really enjoyed her writing and descriptions of settings and characters. Thank you for sharing this one!
ReplyDeleteThe writing is excellent, and it never feels as if someone is manipulating your emotions. It has an honesty that resonates.
DeleteWell now, she certainly does confound expectations doesn't she? When I saw her name I immediately made assumptions about the book like you did and wow -- I am so impressed with her talent.
ReplyDelete