This is a beautifully written, heartfelt look at aging, disease, and death that will both comfort and inspire readers who are living through or fearing such passages.
The Last Ocean asks hard questions ... the book is eminently worth reading for its compassion, research, and practical insight ... In the background is the moving story of her father, cared for at home, who deteriorates rapidly after being hospitalized and refused visitors ... But philosophy, despite good intentions, gets in the way in this book. The (liberal) myth of a discreet self distracts and ultimately undermines the book’s otherwise caring and intelligent message.
Fans and newcomers alike will find this memoir revelatory and moving ... The most personal parts of her inquiry carry both an emotional and a philosophical charge ... Some readers may find it difficult to keep the specifics straight as Gerrard switches among families dealing with the disease, but the range of experiences and perspectives remains illuminating. The more the author seems like a journalistic observer, taking notes from the sidelines, the flatter the tone, though the best writing is indelible ... A beacon of a book amid a sea of darkness.
