Hadley Vlahos

An interesting, easy read that reinforced my sense of the mystery that isn’t ours to know. One or two of the later stories were (for me) too similar to some of her earlier experiences and thus didn’t add much depth or breadth to her interactions within that in-between space. Still, they all reinforced the belief that life’s more memorable experiences can deepen our understanding of the past or shape our view of the future.

A wonderfully intriguing book, exploring the phenomenon of people seeing and talking with deceased loved ones in the final days and hours of their own lives. Some attribute this to hallucinations, but the author, a hospice nurse, believes that there really is an interaction going on there, and that there is something after death.
"The one thing I can tell you for certain is that there are things that defy medical explanation, and that in between here and whatever comes next, there is show more something powerful and peaceful."
"I wish I had those answers. I've just come to find some comfort in the unknown. All I know is that Frank and others just like him show us that we don't have to be scared. We'll find out for ourselves one day."
"I do believe that our loved ones come to get us when we pass, and I don't believe that's the result of a chemical reaction in our brain in those final hours. There's a big difference between hallucinations and the sort of visitations described in this book. I've seen them both, and they're not the same."
Each chapter tells the story of one of the author's clients and their end-of-life experiences. I shed tears at the end of each, in sadness and in hope. show less

This is an interesting balance between the author's personal life and career development with her experiences in assisting twelve of her patients in their final days. It avoids religion (happily for this reader!) but alerts us to certain commonalities as death draws nigh, especially the visits from deceased family member who seem to appear to offer reassurance and guidance. There's also the mysterious timing of the drawing of last breaths. This career seems to require unusual skills of both show more empathy and ability to keep a bit apart. Hadley seems like a fine practitioner and a persuasive writer. show less

Such a well-written, inspirational, eye-opening book by a young hospice nurse. The stories give me hope for a beautiful afterlife, and I cheered on Hadley Vlahos as she made her way through a somewhat difficult life to find her own happiness. The text is matter-of-fact, not sentimental, which makes it even better. My one quibble would be that toward the end of the book, the author mixes up the definitions of empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling bad for someone, while empathy is the show more ability to put yourself in their place, not the other way around. I'm not sure why she or an editor didn't fact-check that. Perhaps it can be corrected in a reprint. show less