Customer Reviews

At the End of Words: A Daughter's Memoir

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading this book, I found myself at the end of words. I was amazed and speechless. If Stone never does another thing to memorialize her mother, this beautiful work will continue to do so down the ages! I can only hope she won't stop here.

This book of poems is simply the best collection I've read in quite some time. Ms Stone's poems seem to distill the essence of her life's experiences into images that combine power and beauty.

A must for anyone interested in poetry, life, and beauty.

Miriam Stone is one of a kind. Her poetry and prose are outstanding. You will continually check the back cover to make sure she is really only 21 years old.

Although this memoir is marketed towards young adults, it is a must-read for all, particularly anyone who has suffered through the loss of a loved one. Miriam captures the essence of the roller coaster ride of emotions one experiences while watching someone pass away. Her complete and utter honesty is outstanding.
Her words are poignant, you will read this memoir again and again with tears in your eyes. You will not be able to put this book down.

Miriam's mother is dying of cancer, and she turns to a journal to try to express her feelings about her mother through writings and poems. This recounts her journey in accepting her mother's condition, her struggles before, during and after acceptance of the inevitable, and the daily search for meaning in life. A warm, personal journal of meeting life's end - and going beyond.

I picked this one up at work the other day, and didn't put it down till I finished it (only about 20 minutes later!). Very slim, very quick read, but it really got under my skin. It's a daughter's memoirs - poetry and journal entries - written in the year her mother died of cancer. Her words about a dream she had are particularly haunting... She describes herself as tied to the moon, but her mother is

"No longer attached to the moon,
you are left dangling,
waiting to be swept
away by the breeze."

Though it's a daughter's reflection upon the loss of her mother, Stone's words will strike a chord with anyone who has lost a loved one.

Synopsis:
Who: Miriam Stone and parents, her mother has cancer.
What: A teenager in high school's (Miriam Stone) mom is diagnosed with cancer (started in the breast then moved to the liver, lungs, and then brain). This book is her writing out her feelings and how her mom's cancer affects her.
When: Late 90's
Where: Cleveland, Ohio

Analysis:
This was a different style of book with inserts of poetry, which the author had written while in high school and her was suffering. The format of the book really complements to the tone of the book. The poems slow down the pace of the book by taking you from the day-to-day reality to the heart of a daughter. This was a fairly easy read, but it was not very informative on the science of it. It never went into the specifics of the cancer or the treatments. I would give it a 4 out of 10.

Synthesis:
This book shed light on the dark side, and the emotional side, of living with a loved one with cancer. This book made me realize that more then just the cancer patience suffers. Family and friends sometimes take it worse then the cancer patient themselves. I could definitely empathize with the main character. My mom had a cancerous mass on her pancreas a couple of years ago, now it never moved to stage four cancer before god healed her, but it still was a scary time for me and my family. I believed my parents diluted on how serious it was, so not to scare my brother and I as much. This book kind of showed me of what lied ahead for my family and me. It was kind of chilling.
The main idea I got from reading this book was that everyone could deal with hardships in different ways. For her it was writing and poetry, for others it can be anything like running, singing, and even dancing. I don't know if I have found my "treatment" for hardships but this book helped me figure out that I have one and that I need to find it. Everyone needs to find his or her "treatment."

I gave this book 2 stars because I couldn't relate to the book at all. The book didn't really hold my attention and I think that's why I didn't like it. I would recommend this book to a girl probably because I think a girl could relate to the book better then guys can.