Member Reviews
Written with such love and honesty, this book charts Patrick’s and his wife Grace’s journey from the day their world fell apart when Grace received a diagnosis of leukaemia to beyond her death. In turns heartbreaking and uplifting, I loved this book. I feel truly privileged for being able to travel this journey with them and hope that in telling Grace’s story with so much humanity, Patrick found a tiny bit of peace.
This is a beautifully written and very heartfelt book. The author portrays the love he has for his wife and his grief with eloquence and emotion. A difficult read at times, but one that is definitely recommended.
Such a beautifully written account of love, life and death. Dillon moves between time periods in an interesting and engaging manner.
This was a true story of the last year in the life of Nicola Therold, who died from Leukaemia. It was a deeply moving story of courage and dignity, following the diagnosis and pathway to the final day.
https://www.lifeat139a.com/10/23/what-ive-read-lately-on-holiday
4 A Moment of Grace, Patrick Dillon
So if none of the other three on this list made me cry, it must be this one. And it was. This book is beautifully written, and full of the emotion I mentioned before, there’s love, much love in fact, but also raw emotion as it tells the story of Nicola’s last thirteen months; the day of diagnosis when their life changed forever, though to the decision Patrick and their children made to let her go. It’s a story with fight and realism, and tears, mostly mine. There’s also hope, and particularly how Patrick wanted the house to be right for when Nicola returned, truth of an everyday and ordinary life, and how quickly that can change.
Patrick Dillon is an award-winning architect and writer, his wife of 28 years Nicola Thorold was Executive Producer at London’s Roundhouse and awarded an OBE for services to the arts. It’s a compelling read, and more so I think because these are real people and real lives.
This is a really heart warming and sad story.
You can really feel the love they have for each other.
A moving tale of love and loss.
This is the story, told by Patrick Dillon, of his wife’s last months of life after being diagnosed with leukaemia. Patrick is an architect and writer, his wife Nicola was a successful producer working at the Roundhouse London. They had been married for 28 years, their life together seemed idyllic, a perfect relationship, two lovely children, interesting careers, great lifestyle – and then the bombshell dropped.
In many ways, this is a difficult book to read. The outcome, death, is known from the start. It is a matter of travelling with Patrick, Nicola and their children through the harrowing progress of the illness. It is a roller-coaster of emotions as the treatments which cause so much suffering alternatively give them hope and then despair as Nicola falls victim to one infection after another.
There were moments when I almost felt like an intruder on a love that is described in great detail. Many events in their married life are recalled in the narrative, and all of them seem perfect. It is a love that only deepens as they experience the last and final tragedy together.
Deaths from cancer are never good. There have been many descriptions of living and dying from cancer, written in many different ways. The one positive to take away from Patrick’s beautifully told account is that their life together had been so perfect. He has been left with wonderful memories and the support of his children to help him through his grief.
Jane
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
I'm never sure what I think about this type of book. This was a family story of bereavement. It is beautifully written. The author has tried not to make it sad. Nichola dies from leukaemia after more than a year battling through treatment with such dignity. Although early in the book we are told Nichola will die, the journey she takes is remarkable and not always as one expects. Many of us will wish, that we will conduct ourselves like Nichola and that made me glad to have read this book. Illness does not follow familiar patterns. Despite the outcome, this book contains positivity and hope, it does though emphasise the journey for everyone.
This is a true story, touching, moving and written with love and dignity in memory of Nicola, Patrick’s partner for the last 28 years. Nicola lost her life to leukaemia in 2016. Writing this book has been Patrick’s way to deal with his loss of Nicola besides honouring his courageous wife who never gave up fighting her illness.
There is a little background information of how life use to be for them but the majority of the chapters take you from the day the call from the doctor to Patrick came, asking his wife to go to the surgery, to the time of her death and just beyond. From hearing the terrible news the couple never give up hope, tried to stay positive and keep life as near to normal as possible, even when Nicola spent long periods in hospital under going treatment and times of infections where she was dreadfully ill.
Talk about wearing you heart on your sleeve, nothing is held back. There is a difference between never giving up and being realistic and they knew which was which. Patrick talks of a closeness between them that many people never experience in their lives and this was shared with their two grown up children. New dynamics took place in the family and they found strength in each other when they were spent.
There is also an honest account of how they saw the care that was given to Nicola from nursing staff. Nicola’s fears and at times incredible courage. It is a very intimate journey, one which it only felt right to read in a very quite environment, I don’t know it was like respecting the harder moments that Patrick shared and at times reflect on myself. A very moving and honest tribute to Nicola, Patrick has done them both proud.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for inviting me to read this book which I have reviewed honestly
This is a beautifully written true story of how the author coped with his wife's illness and subsequent death. Eloquently written and stayed with me for a while after finishing.
This is a very sad but beautifully written true story.a diary written by the Author of how he coped with his wife's illness and death.This is an extremely moving story perhaps not for everyone.Many thanks to the Publisher,the Author and NetGalley for this review copy in return for an honest review.
We all cope with death differently and for Patrick Dillon the solution was to write of how he and Nicola, his wife of 28 years, managed the 13 months between the first diagnosis of leukaemia and her death. In so doing he has, I believe, done us all a favour in reminding us of a very simple fact. What precedes every death is LIFE - so live every moment. Spend whatever time there is making more memories, just as you do when healthy. Should your partner die you'll then have a store you'll never tire of re-visiting. If, on the other hand, your partner recovers, you'll both be able to look back on at a battle well won. Whilst Patrick's grief is embedded on every page it is this determined focus on life, love and memories that will stay with you.
A Moment of Grace is a truly remarkable book, which I read in a couple of sittings. It's not easy to write about death in an engaging way; it's waiting for all of us and most deaths will go by unnoticed. This is a searing and often heart rending account of one person's journey, written by her husband. It's a book of contrasts; love and loss, hope and despair, triumph and tragedy. Most of all it's a lasting tribute to Nicola, an extraordinary individual.
It was a privilege to read about her life in often intimate detail. She faced up to an unexpected and devastating diagnosis of leukaemia with dignity and strength and managed to hide her fears. What comes across most of all is the love and friendship within the family. Nicola is someone who seemed to bring something positive to every situation and was highly regarded professionally. Although I knew how it would end, I really bought into the account and was hoping for a different outcome. I shed a few tears along the way and it's a book I've thought about since I finished reading it. Patrick Dillon is eloquent and open and a reminder of how much we take for granted every day. Nicola's story is an inspiration.
My thanks to Penguin for a review copy via Netgalley.
"This is the story of my wife's death from leukaemia. It isn't a sad book". But it is the most moving book I can recall ever reading and the only book in which I've ever engaged at such a personal level.. Patrick Dillon describes the painful last year of his wife's life and the love that they shared before and during that time. So it's not sad at that level. But what is so profound is the way in which recollections of that love and their lives together are viewed through the filter of the deep grief Dillon has for his wife. Read this book. Learn from it.
In May 2015, Nichola was diagnosed with leukaemia. After several rounds of treatment, a bone marrow transplant and many waves of recovery and decline, she died thirteen months after her diagnosis. Six months later, at Christmas, Patrick started to write.
Nicola Thorold was a leading figure in theatre. She was awarded an OBE for her contribution to the arts at London's Roundhouse. Nichola and Patrick had been together for twenty-eight years. This is a beautifully written book. At times it's heartbreaking to read. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Ebury Publishing and the author Patrick Dillon for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is undoubtedly a story of deep sadness and distress for the family involved. Primarily, books like this enable the bereaved to share their grief as part of their recovery. It is up to readers to choose whether one family's story of illness and death is something they want to go through. It is emotionally challenging and very sensitively written as a diary of the author's coping with his wife's illness and death. Whether it is a book that helps others is for readers to decide for themselves.
A moving and well-written memoir about living with a seriously ill spouse and the ensuing process of bereavement.
This is hard to read. The author is describing his journey as his wife suffers from leukaemia. It is calmly and honestly written and certainly gives an insight into the last year of his wife's life. The author appears very satisfied in the way that he and his family managed that last year. For me it was exceptionally hard to read as my husband died very suddenly and we had no opportunity for any of this. I can recommend it if a reader is seeking insight into the most difficult of situations but it is upsetting.
There are many books written about illness, cancer and grief but there is something about this one that makes it stand out from the others - possibly a sense of dignity and hope. Whilst it did make me cry on more than one occasion it always felt full of hope and optimism.