This book is beautifully written and realistically imagined as a woman moves toward the end of life. It's a little hard to follow in how it jumps between present and several time periods of the past, but I am guessing that is how the end of life might and will probably look. I happen to know that the descriptions of end-of-life transitions and behaviors synchs up exactly with what I have heard from Hospice care nurses and witnessed myself a few times.
It's rare for me to say this, but I believe I liked the 2007 film adaptation better than the book itself. (Of course, it veers off from the book, but when does it not?) I remember seeing it with a girlfriend and how moved we were by the friendship that extended into old age and to the brink of death. She and I both agreed that we would be there to crawl in bed with the other and to comfort when that time came. Makes me sad now to think about what life was then and how it may be in the future. Still a lovely thought......a friend until the very end.
You should probably only watch this film or read the book when you're feeling pretty emotionally sound. And most definitely not the night before you are getting married. (Bonus, that's Meryl Streep's daughter playing the younger version of herself. Pretty clever, huh? AND, Natasha Richardson is also in the film which means she and Mamie Gummer both costarred alongside their mothers. Such fitting casting to the film and its themes.) Also, not really a light summer read. But who says all summer reading must be cream puff? But I will say this: if you've recently experienced loss, books like this can bring a good bit of peace. But then again, only each person knows what they need when in grief.