Customer Reviews

A Sacred Walk: Dispelling the Fear of Death and Caring for the Dying

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This book makes you face the reality of death - for yourself and for those you care about. Through the many real-life examples, the writer provokes you into thinking how you would handle the situations we all know yet often prefer to suppress. It's full of practical ideas and useful insights for caregivers, and encourages everyone to make the most of life till the very end. As I read this book, I found I was drawn into the scenes as though I knew the people involved personally. The writer's honesty, experience and compassion shine through; overall, it's an uplifting message she sends.

A friend gave me a copy of A Sacred Walk after my wife passed away recently. I read one chapter a day to digest the information, but the section entitled "The Last Days" was particularly helpful in my grieving process. The writing is exquisite, and I highly recommend this book as a source of applied wisdom on the many perspectives of death and dying - particularly beneficial for family care givers and care receivers as well as anyone who works with patients and their families dealing with end-of-life issues.

The author, through sharing her own personal experiences--some with humor--connects us to a subject we tend to shy away from. She gives us a treasure chest to reach into when we may be a caregiver or faced with our own ending, or that of a loved one. This book is a must for everyone at any stage of life.

I am a newer Christian (since about 2002) 59 years old. I'm taking care of my husband's 89 year old father. He says he's a believer, but I'm not so sure sometimes. I try not to be judgmental, but encouraging to him. I know he will meet his maker soon and he needs to surrender all to God. I found this book so helpful in so many ways. There is a lot of practical advice along with good Christian value.

I probably should have paid more attention to other reviews, but I was trying to find something that would help me understand and help with the trials of a friend whose husband is gravely ill. The book was a bit too 1st person narrative for me...but I occasionally pick it up to try and seek order among the chaos my friend is going through, but I am not prone to quoting scriptures as an answer to confusion and anger.

Clearly a person of great faith and service to others, Ms. Authers offers her experiences with suffering and death in a practical, intimate and moving guide for caregivers everywhere. Throughout the book is a lovely mother/daughter thread which lets us watch as her mother's questioning of her own faith leads her to a place of great comfort and joy. The ultimate role reversal where the first caregiver becomes the care receiver occurs with grace and love and the obvious devotion between mother and daughter is a love story which we don't want to see end.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who is or may become a caregiver, for anyone who has struggled with their own faith and for anyone who has loved another human being.

Donna Authers gives us a treasured gift in "A Sacred Walk". Her openness in sharing her personal experiences provides valuable insights. This is a book worth keeping on the bookshelf as you will want to review it as you journey through life. It's helpful when you are a care giver and when you become, at points in your life, a care receiver. Her practicul advice on how to greet someone who has faced a serious illness is invaluable. Donna's stories of Sister Therese were endearing, especially the cardinal story. Thanks for writing this treasure.

A Sacred Walk is more than a great handbook for caregivers taking care of a loved one. It is a treasure! It takes the reader from diagnosis, through treatment, to the inevitable time when treatment is no longer an option. In the chapter "Hospice is for the Living" the author clearly and accurately describes the many services that are designed to help a family maintain their quality of life, and Anna's tender story makes it all come alive- even through the final stages of death. Donna Authers transforms the fear and grief she has seen and experienced over the years into a treasure of hope that will greatly benefit those reading and using this timeless book.--Chuck Merkle

Authers writes clearly, compellingly and with compassion. She demystifies the practical and legal details of getting one's affairs in order and motivates readers to take action with interesting stories and anecdotes that bring the chapter on estate planning alive . . . Excellent!

This is a remarkable book that will touch all of us. I was riveted in reading about this important subject. It is extremely well written, and because of the unique way it is presented, I found it to be a real page turner - a term rarely used to describe a book of this nature. The vivid vignettes read like a story; but A Sacred Walk is really a manual for dealing with life as well as death, filled with practical ideas on how to accompany someone on the end-of-life journey.