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Dear Life
- A Doctor’s Story of Love and Loss
- Narrated by: Rachel Clarke
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
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Dear Life
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Summary
It takes courage to love the things of this world when all of them, without fail, are fleeting, fading, no more than a spark against the darkness of deep time. Yet when everything you have been and done and meant to the world is being prised from your grasp, human connections are the vital medicine. It is other people who make the difference.
Rachel Clarke grew up spellbound by her father's stories of practising medicine. Then, as a doctor herself, one who specialised in palliative medicine, she found herself contemplating all her training had taught her in the face of her own beloved father's mortality.
Dear Life is the inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking and yet deeply uplifting story of the doctor we would all want to have by our side in a crisis. The hospice where Rachel works is, of course, a world haunted by loss and grief, but it is also teeming with life.
If there is a difference between people who know they are dying and the rest of us, it is simply this: that the terminally ill know their time is running out, while we live as though we have all the time in the world. In a hospice, therefore, there is more of what matters in life - more love, more strength, more kindness, more smiles, more dignity, more joy, more tenderness, more grace, more compassion - than you could ever imagine.
Dear Life is a love letter - to a father, to a profession, to life itself.
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What listeners say about Dear Life
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mrs l omar
- 05-06-21
Astounding…
This book attempts to put into words - love. The scenarios and stories capture the most precious moments in life and convey to the reader heartfelt, raw emotion.
The eloquence of the writer is superb and should be read and reflected on by everyone especially those of us involved in end of life care. Thank you Rachel.
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- J. F. Cooper
- 21-02-20
Essential read for those at the sharp end
Beautiful and sensitively written. At times made me weep. Thoroughly recommended to those dealing with life in the raw
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mahendra Kothari
- 12-02-20
Care of Dying.
A must read for all Doctors & health staff in NHS and Hospice. Nursing Home and Care Homes.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- ben
- 20-10-23
Insightful but heavy
I took interest in this publication as a palliative care professional. Having engaged well with a similar work from a different author I was excited to engage witch a fresh point of view.
The content of this book is essential for any professional involved in the palliative care sector, perhaps more so for healthcare professionals who are not palliative care focused.
There is poetry in the prose and the author should be proud of this creation.
The only note I could give is that the subject matter lacks peaks and dips, the heaviness of the subject matter is a constant flow that makes the work a bit heavy to listen to without breaks. The more serious the topic, the more necessary the occasional comic relief in both substance and delivery.
On balance, this is a fantastic achievement and a vital piece of insightful work. I highly recommend it.
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- Fiona H.
- 11-09-20
Excellent.
Beautifully written and read. Moving, eloquent and fascinating. An important listen for all of us.
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- Natalielal
- 22-10-20
Beautiful
A fantastic read, beautifully written. So full of love and life. Found it to be Informative too.
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- Lynne Nicholson
- 24-07-23
An in depth look at the end of life
Wow!
From the perspectives of physician, and family member the author takes us on a harrowing journey.
As a physician describing the end of life care of her patients she maintains a human connection while detailing the clinical realities.
As a daughter describing her father’s journey to the end of life she describes how her feelings mirror those of the families of her patients.
Right at the end she describes how the majority of hospice care is funded by charities.
There are some harrowing moments shared but for the most part what comes through is the human experience, the resilience of those facing their death, scattered in are also poignant moments and humour.
Well recommend reading this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jessica
- 10-06-20
Deeply personal insight into the end of life
Strange that it is so unusual to hear somebody speak at such length about something which will happen to everybody. For that reason alone, I found this to be an important book. Excellent writing. There are some beautifully lyrical sentences in this book -- so much so that I sometimes wished I was reading it rather than listening, so that I could underline certain passages which really struck me. The narrator has a sometimes strangely clipped way of speaking, but overall she handled the gravitas of the subject well.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sheila R
- 29-03-20
Thank you
Just a fantastic experience, have listened twice already. Too late now, 88, how I wish I had been a doctor. Watched original interview with Denis Potter 26 years ago and remember every minute. Thank you Rachel for writing and reading such a book.
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- Peter Tyson
- 04-02-23
Brilliant
Excellent book told by the wonderful Rachel, I only hope when my time comes I have a doctor like Rachel looking after me in my last days.
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