Stephanie S. reviewed Driving Miss Norma: One Family's Journey Saying 'Yes' to Living on + 169 more book reviews
Following a dire medical diagnosis, how would you (or I) choose to spend our final months in this life? Well, in this book, the title character, Miss Norma, chose to forego any more medical treatments or drastic measures in favor of joining her son and daughter-in-law travelling the country in an RV. Who among us hasn't watched a loved-one linger helplessly in a hospital bed those final days, and wished to be able to change that? It's such an important topic, and so the premise of this true account grabbed me immediately.
By chapter two I was in tears, those good kind of tears, and I continued to turn pages expecting that the authors would soon share some of the gutsy conversations and poignant revelations that being together in such small quarters at such a pivotal time must surely have led to. But, alas, they didn't (not to the degree I'd wished for, at any rate).
By far, the biggest chunk of this book was devoted to all the external adventures the trio shared, as they motored from state to state. These were fun and incredible times, and Miss Norma was a sweet and worthy recipient of these adventures. Here's Miss Norma being escorted onto an aircraft carrier for a VIP tour. There's Miss Norma riding as grand marshal in a parade. Here's Miss Norma horseback riding, and hot-air ballooning, and zip-lining, and being interviewed on TV, even smooching with a sealion at the zoo. It was all charming and fun. Her experiences were chronicled on the internet, and she gained followers and fans and many good wishers as the weeks went by. Which was all wonderful, and fun to read about.
But I sorely missed the deepness, the worry and sadness, that surely must have hovered over every adventure. Instead more was written about navigating Miss Norma's wheelchair over rocky inclines or sometimes wondering where they could park for the night. Simple logistics had to be discussed and figured out, of course; I just wished for more.
Many teary, gutsy conversations must have occurred inside that RV, but they were ever-so-fleetingly touched upon here. The fun times were overwhelmingly the biggest part of the book. Ultimately this disappointed me. Depth was lacking all the way through to page 193 when Miss Norma's health and spirits took a sudden turn. It probably sounds terrible, but for me this was finally where the book became meaty and hit home. The most difficult of all decisions could no longer be delayed, and the rawest of emotions could no longer be held in check. The final 40 pages brought as many tears to my eyes as the first two chapters had.
At one point, when the medical community had to once again be involved in his mother's care, the son lamented, "At what point are we prolonging her life? Where is the quality?" Which, in this book, as in life, is the whole point.
*** 1/2 Three and a half stars
By chapter two I was in tears, those good kind of tears, and I continued to turn pages expecting that the authors would soon share some of the gutsy conversations and poignant revelations that being together in such small quarters at such a pivotal time must surely have led to. But, alas, they didn't (not to the degree I'd wished for, at any rate).
By far, the biggest chunk of this book was devoted to all the external adventures the trio shared, as they motored from state to state. These were fun and incredible times, and Miss Norma was a sweet and worthy recipient of these adventures. Here's Miss Norma being escorted onto an aircraft carrier for a VIP tour. There's Miss Norma riding as grand marshal in a parade. Here's Miss Norma horseback riding, and hot-air ballooning, and zip-lining, and being interviewed on TV, even smooching with a sealion at the zoo. It was all charming and fun. Her experiences were chronicled on the internet, and she gained followers and fans and many good wishers as the weeks went by. Which was all wonderful, and fun to read about.
But I sorely missed the deepness, the worry and sadness, that surely must have hovered over every adventure. Instead more was written about navigating Miss Norma's wheelchair over rocky inclines or sometimes wondering where they could park for the night. Simple logistics had to be discussed and figured out, of course; I just wished for more.
Many teary, gutsy conversations must have occurred inside that RV, but they were ever-so-fleetingly touched upon here. The fun times were overwhelmingly the biggest part of the book. Ultimately this disappointed me. Depth was lacking all the way through to page 193 when Miss Norma's health and spirits took a sudden turn. It probably sounds terrible, but for me this was finally where the book became meaty and hit home. The most difficult of all decisions could no longer be delayed, and the rawest of emotions could no longer be held in check. The final 40 pages brought as many tears to my eyes as the first two chapters had.
At one point, when the medical community had to once again be involved in his mother's care, the son lamented, "At what point are we prolonging her life? Where is the quality?" Which, in this book, as in life, is the whole point.
*** 1/2 Three and a half stars
