The Best of Us by Joyce Maynard

I keep reading books and saying, "This is it!" "This is the book that has touched my heart to the moon and back and there will be no other." And then I listened to Joyce Maynard's memoir "The Best of Us," and I had to think again. This is a beautiful heartbreaking memoir about love and loss, and marriage and death. I have worked at my hospice for more than eight years now, and this is the first book that I think really brought to life what it is like to have a loved one be diagnosed with a terminal illness, and then the months and days that come afterwards. Many of you might know author Joyce Maynard from her previous works, but this is her most personal book to date. Years after her first marriage and divorce, she met a man on a dating app named Jim. They had so much in common. He was an athletic lawyer who was divorced, had children and loved live music and travel. They fell in love, got married and then a few years later he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The disease is a one-way ticket for most people. From the day he was diagnosed, the couple not only fought the disease but also lived their lives to the fullest. He did the Whipple surgery. They danced. He went for chemo and radiation. They ate oysters, drank red wine and escaped to Guatemala. He entered hospice care at home, and they went to see a Bob Dylan concert. This book is the best example of living and dying that I can think of for any couple. Joyce Maynard is a treasure, and "The Best of Us" will remain one of my favorite books forever. Follow Joyce here @therealjoycemaynard To buy this book on Amazon click here.