The End of Your Life Book Club

The End of Your Life Book Club is a memoir by Will Schwalbe about his mother Mary Ann, who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer after returning from a humanitarian aid trip. Schwalbe writes about his mother and her inspiring life's work, but also about the book club that the two of them began after learning of her diagnosis. Instead of focusing on her illness and coming death, Schwalbe and his mother have deep philosophical conversations about a series of books they read together. This book club becomes a foundation for Schwalbe and his mother to continue to bond as she undergoes treatment, and for his mother to focus not only on her own mortality, but also on the pleasures of living.

A significant part of The End of Your Life Book Club is focused on Schwalbe's mother, who inspired his literary career, committing her life to books and humanitarian aid work. Schwalbe's mother traveled the world, primarily to third world nations, to provide education and literacy services to children and adults in need. A dedicated woman with a passion for reading, it is during one of her many trips that she is flown home due to health problems. Initially, the doctors think she might have Hepatitis C, but after returning to her home, she learns that she has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This comes as a blow to her family; Mary Ann is seventy years old and otherwise in good health; pancreatic cancer is nearly always fatal within sixth months of diagnosis.

To cope with the diagnosis, Schwalbe and his mother begin a practice they have taken on at various points in their lives – they start a two-person book club. While in decades past, the pair had read books that were interesting to them, this time they use Mary Ann's diagnosis as inspiration, choosing a book list that will help them think about the meaning of life and coping with death. The book club lasts for nearly two years – Mary Ann, astonishingly, long out-lives her diagnosed life expectancy, shocking doctors with her strength. Schwalbe records and reflects on many of the conversations that he and his mother have during this period, using the books they read as a jumping off point for important conversations about religion, courage, gratitude, and learning how to listen to those we love. Their book list is remarkably broad, spanning from contemporary to classic literature and from mysteries to poetry and beyond. As they read, Schwalbe realizes that reading about the world is another way of living.



As Mary Ann succumbs to her cancer, she refuses to give up her literacy projects. She is devoted to continuing a project to install a traveling library in Afghanistan, where she had been working before her diagnosis. Though many people compliment Mary Ann for her bravery in the face of her illness, Schwalbe notes that his mother didn't think of herself as particularly courageous. She was a humble woman, who knew that she lived in a privileged world compared to many others around the globe. Her experience working in third world countries kept her humble, and until the end of her life, she was thankful for the life she lived, despite this diagnosis and the pain of her treatment. In fact, stories from people she knew back in third world countries who struggled under much more challenging circumstances gave her the strength to go on, despite knowing that her death was coming.

Schwalbe writes not only about his mother's work as she dies, but about her history working for human and civil rights around the globe. He reflects on the lessons his mother taught him about reading, listening, and living, sharing them with us to mark her legacy as both a kind and hard-working woman and a wonderful mother. The book is an ode to her life's work, and Schwalbe makes it clear that his mother remains an inspiration long after her death.

Will Schwalbe is an author, editor, and entrepreneur who lives in New York City. He has written three books and worked as the editor-in-chief of Hyperion books before it was acquired by MacMillan in 2014. He now serves as executive vice president of MacMillan. His books include SEND: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do it Better, The End of Your Life Book Club, and his most recent work, Books for Living, which was published in 2016. The End of Your Life Book Club spent more than four months on the New York Times Bestseller List.