Customer Reviews

Before I Say Goodbye

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A short and quickly read book, and perhaps not one which you could cope with at all stages in your life, this is the brief account (kind of parallels the brief life) of the last year of life of a 32 year old London journalist who discovers she has cancer - and the news rapidly gets worse and worse. A collection of her emails (sent and received), some pieces she wrote for the newspaper, and text from her husband, this really tells it how it is (or was) for them. Few euphemisms, and the heart-breaking fact for any parent reading the book that she left behind her twin children (conceived through IVF), who celebrated their 2nd birthday just a few weeks before her death. Good for gaining a basic understanding of what she went through and some empathy for any friends or family you may want to support at such times in the future.

I've had this book on my bookshelf for at least 6 months before I decided to finally read it; I'm just wondering what took me so long, now that I have!

Ruth Picardie was a Journalist writing for the Observer in London, who discovered that she had breast cancer and decided to share her story with her readers. She received a lot of touching and encouraging letters and emails from the public which are published in the book. Emails she wrote to and received from her friends are also contained. Ruth had a very humorous way of dealing with her situation and I did find myself laughing out loud a few times, even though I knew how the story was going to end. Her husband wrote the last chapter of the book, explaining how he felt during her illness, the change their relationship went through and finally Ruth's last hours. If I was laughing a hundred pages back I now couldn't help but cry for this very gifted and courageous Journalist, Woman, Mother and Wife.