Tales from the Bed: On Living, Dying, and Having It All [Hardcover]

Jenifer Estess (Author), Valerie Estess (Author), Katie Couric (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0743476824 | ISBN-13: 978-0743476829 | Publication Date: May 18, 2004 | Edition: 1

Jenifer Estess is a woman on the verge: She's about to launch her own company; she's looking buff and dating vigorously; she's driving in the fast lane -- with the top down. At the age of thirty-five, Jenifer dreams of falling in love and starting a family. Then she notices muscle twitches in her legs. Walking down a city block feels exhausting. At first, doctors write off Jenifer's symptoms to stress, but she is quickly diagnosed with ALS, a fatal brain disease that is absolutely untreatable.

"Max out your credit cards and see Paris," suggests one doctor. Instead of preparing to die, Jenifer gets busy. She dreams deeper, works harder, and loves endlessly. For Jenifer, being fatally ill is not about letting go. It's about holding on and reaching -- for family, friends, goals.

Jenifer's girlhood pact with her sisters Valerie and Meredith -- nothing will ever break us apart -- guides them as Jenifer faces down one of the most devastating illnesses known to humankind. That same enduring pact inspires the creation of Project A.L.S., a movement started by the sisters that changes the way science and medicine approach research for ALS and the related diseases Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and which has already raised more than $18 million. Will Project A.L.S. help scientists discover medicine in time for her?

Jenifer answers these questions and others in this beautifully written and wholly inspiring memoir that celebrates a life fuelled by memory. "Tales from the Bed" forces us to reconsider society's notion of "having it all," and illustrates, more than anything, the importance of endurance, hope, and, most of all, love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

By the time 40-year-old Jenifer Estess died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) last December, she and her sisters had founded an organization-Project A.L.S.-to find a cure for this fatal neuromuscular disease. This fast-paced, witty book, written with one of her sisters, is both a memoir of Jenifer's six-year struggle with the disease and a chronicle of Project A.L.S.'s birth and work. Unfortunately, the beauty of the writing and the story is compromised by a too-casual structure; even simple chapter titles could have remedied the book's scattered feeling. This haze appears elsewhere, too: for instance, after deciding to found Project A.L.S, the sisters recruited theater colleagues, including Ben Stiller, to help, but they don't explain how Jenifer had made those contacts in the first place (the necessary details of her profession as a theater producer aren't revealed until the book's second half). Flashbacks to Jenifer's romantic history and to her mother's love life are well written and funny, but sometimes feel inappropriate to the story. The book does engage, however, when it details Jenifer's relationship with her supportive friend Reed, who liberates-and loves-the wheelchair-bound Jenifer. But later, as Jenifer describes her inability to speak or write, readers may wonder how she managed to create this part of the book. The final chapter, though, is beautiful: in a clever, poignant twist, Jenifer continues to narrate her death and its aftermath, bringing the sisters' love and closeness full circle as readers wonder where Jenifer ends and Valerie begins.
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Review

"Filled with Jenifer's singular grace and exquisite wit, [Tales] had me laughing and crying, often at the same time." -- Peter Hedges, screenwriter and director of Pieces of April

"Jenifer's unique wit and self-effacing charm pull you right into this touching and inspiring memoir of her remarkable life." -- Sarah Jessica Parker

"Once you meet Jenifer Estess you’ll never forget her..." -- Michael J. Fox, author of Lucky Man

"To read this story is not only to be inspired, it literally makes you see the world around you differently." -- Ben Stiller

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atria; 1 edition (May 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743476824
• ISBN-13: 978-0743476829
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KACZOR REVIEW COMPLETELY WRONG!, April 25, 2005

By 

Sally (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Bed: On Living, Dying, and Having It All (Hardcover)

Kaczor completely missed the point of this book. Judging by this reviewer's other reviews, she's just looking for the gory details. TALES FROM THE BED is not about dying, it's about living, and living life to the fullest. The pain and despair of what Jenifer Estess and her sisters go through is theirs and theirs alone--it's a testament to Jenifer that she didn't want to burden the reader with this; no great writer spells it out the way this reviewer wants it spelled out. And if you really read the book (more closely than this reviewer did), you are inspired by the author's humor, warmth, insight, and generosity of spirit in the face of tragedy. This is a beautiful book--read it!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GIFT OF A BOOK!, July 21, 2004

By 

J. S. WILLARD "eclectic reader" (CHARLESTON, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tales from the Bed: On Living, Dying, and Having It All (Hardcover)

Such an amazing read. Read it in a day. This a rare autobiography where the spirit of the writer actually shines through. Roaringly funny and punch you in the gut devastating. I laughed out loud and moments later I would put the book down while this wave of sadness washed over. God bless these sisters and their work. Read this and count your blessings.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL, November 16, 2004

By 

Mother of Four/Sister of Three (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Bed: On Living, Dying, and Having It All (Hardcover)

I cannot remember the last time I read a book that was so beautifully written--so powerful and inspiring. The words--the story had me laughing, crying and reflecting on my own life. Because of this book--I am more thankful for each day that I have and more appreciative of those I love and who love me.