Imperfect Endings

I didn't sign up for this weekend's read-a-thon, not knowing whether I could anticipate having much time to spend curled up with a stack of good books. However, aside from house cleaning that (if done right) could take all weekend and church, I really don't have much on my agenda. I also have several books that are very close to being finished, and a huge stack of ones I would love to start, so a read-a-thon would be a lot of fun. Since I didn't sign up, though, I am just going to post reviews as I finish the books that I am reading.

Last night I finished up Imperfect Endings by Zoe Fitzgerald. This memoir chronicles Fitzgerald's mother's wish to end her life after suffering with Parkinson's for twenty four years along with a host of other health problems. While Zoe's mother wants her three daughters to be there for her exit, Zoe finds it difficult to come to terms with her mother's wish to die. Zoe tries to find a balance between helping her mother, yet retaining her desire for her mother to continue to live. During this time period in her life, Fitzgerald admits to the strain it puts on her emotionally so that she often seems absent to her husband and children. And while her mother's behavior may seem selfish, she is at the point in her life where she has turned her attention inward, focusing on herself.

I'm not sure I agree with Fitzgerald's mother's stance on ending her own life, or Fitzgerald's stance, either, for that matter. Yet, that is what attracts me to memoirs - the different ways people think and behave.