The New York Times Book Review - Heather Lende
Egan is funny, honest and self-deprecating…On Living is part memoir, part spiritual reflection and part narration of tales told to Egan by her patients. Her transitions between other people's stories and her own personal and professional observations can be disconcerting, but she is such good company that you will forgive her…On Living adds to the understanding of end-of-life issues in an important and accessible way, because Egan's patients and caregivers could be you and me, and no doubt will be sooner than we expect.
Publishers Weekly
★ 08/08/2016
In her sophomore outing, Egan (Fumbling: A Journey of Love, Adventure and Renewal on the Camino de Santiago) masters the art of imparting critical life advice without coming off as preachy—a difficult feat. The author, a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, works as an end-of-life chaplain—a profession sometimes belittled by others (a woman at her book club asks her, “You consider this work?”), yet helpful to those who need a healing catharsis in the limited time left to them, such as a mother who bore her son out of wedlock and lied to him about the identity of his father, and a father who blames himself for his four-year-old son’s death from meningitis. Egan is no stranger to sorrow herself, having experienced a psychotic break when doctors used ketamine during her emergency C-section, after her epidural anesthesia failed. Most of all, Egan’s empathetic tone is a comfort for both the healthy and the dying—whom, she opines, are not polar opposites. “People don’t somehow transform drastically into something else when they’re dying,” she says. “They’re just doing something you haven’t done yet.” Egan also counsels that things are never as they appear, that there are layers to every decision, good and bad. As the title suggests, this is not just a book about dying. It’s one that will inspire readers to make the most of every day. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Funny, honest, and self-deprecating…On Living adds to the understanding of end-of-life issues in an important and accessible way…If there is one thing death teaches us, it’s how to live.” –New York Times Book Review
"Illuminating, unflinching and ultimately inspiring, [On Living] presents “the spiritual work of dying” as a profound process with undeniable elements of beauty. A book to treasure.” –People Magazine
"This isn’t a self-help book, but in its own way it inspires and instructs. Ms. Egan, a hospice chaplain, has a down-to-earth, never-preachy style.” –The Wall Street Journal
"On Living... is about what makes us human." –Houston Chronicle
"A poetic and philosophical and brave and uplifting meditation on how important it is to make peace and meaning of our lives while we still have them.” –Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat Pray Love
“Egan... works as a hospice chaplain, supporting the spirits of those who are dying. In this book, she compassionately describes and distills what she has learned in their service.” —Boston Globe
“Equal parts memoir and meditative text on the nature of life — and the many faces of faith….this beautiful book will speak to parts of your heart that you didn't even realize were hurting. What's more: It might help heal them.” —Refinery29, Best New Books to Read This Month
“A unique gem of a book... Wise without being preachy, warm without being cloying, Kerry Egan offers a delightful, humorous, and ultimately joyful perspective on what it means to be alive.” —Chicago Review of Books
“Egan’s evocative and eloquent book reminds us that we are defined by the stories we tell, and those stories often reveal how life can be “beautiful and crushing” at the same time.” —BookPage
“Terrific…[Egan is] a great storyteller because she's a great story-listener…The stories from patients in this book are compelling. And it's through those stories that we get some helpful insight into the difficult, misunderstood but necessary work of chaplains in hospice settings. When it's time for me to have one, I hope there are more Kerry Egans in the world.” –Faith Matters
“Lovely, perceptive, and absorbing…a gem and a blessing.” –LifeZette
“Beautiful.” –Jewish Journal
“It's the rare book that touches heart and soul. For me, Kerry Egan's remarkable memoir of her experiences as a hospice chaplain, On Living, is that rarity … I wanted to copy inspiring and poignant quotes from every other page…This is no preachy book of clichés, no prayers for the dying — just many reminders that time is short and that beauty, grace and loss exist in every life.” –News Tribune
“In Egan’s narrative, hope takes many shapes… It’s the kind of wisdom that might comfort someone experiencing a pain, suffering loss, or facing death. While belief systems may be filled with arguments and theories, Egan’s perspective is more forgiving, softer, and grayer…By showing how she sits with death, Egan helps reveal what we might be afraid to face.” –Christian Century
“Good dose of humor…beautiful... raw and vulnerable.” –Hannah Creager, Williamsburg Hospice
“This is one of the best books I have read all year: moving, inspiring, beautifully written…It is a book well worth exploring.” –America Magazine
"In her sophomore outing, Egan masters the art of imparting critical life advice without coming off as preachy—a difficult feat…Egan’s empathetic tone is a comfort for both the healthy and the dying—whom, she opines, are not polar opposites…As the title suggests, this is not just a book about dying. It’s one that will inspire readers to make the most of every day.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
"Powerful...in this quick read, Egan takes readers on an emotional journey through many unforgettable lives." —Booklist
“[Egan’s] anecdotes are often thought-provoking combinations of sublime humor and tragic pathos… A moving, heartfelt account of a hospice veteran.” –Kirkus Reviews
“A unique gem of a book... On Living is anything but mournful. In fact, it’s one of the most hopeful and insightful books I’ve read in years. Wise without being preachy, warm without being cloying, Kerry Egan offers a delightful, humorous, and ultimately joyful perspective on what it means to be alive.” —Abby Geni, author of The Lightkeepers
“I know from experience what a blessing hospice can be for patients and their families. Kerry Egan’s insightful book is a blessing as well. A born storyteller, she allows us a glimpse into a little-known world, where ordinary people face death with wit, humor, sadness, and regret. Egan reveals that the job of a chaplain is mostly to listen to them as they work out how to set things right with those they love, and find meaning in their lives.” —Kathleen Norris, author of The Cloister Walk, Amazing Grace, and Acedia and Me
“When I forget the importance of kindness, when I forget to listen, when I no longer recognize the comfort of a quiet presence, when no words will help, when I lose sight of what is most important, I will want On Living within arm's reach, always. I love this book.” —Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life and What Comes Next and How to Like It
“It's a brave thing to walk into the rooms of the dying with no props—to sit down, open your heart and your mind, and be present to whatever comes up. But that's exactly what chaplain Kerry Egan does, and in On Living, she reveals some of what she has learned. What does come up? Anger, love, regret, secrets, stories, and insights, well-told and well-felt." —Victoria Sweet, author of God’s Hotel
OCTOBER 2016 - AudioFile
Please don’t be put off by this audiobook’s mention of hospice, which you may associate with death and sorrow. This marvelous, often funny production is a true celebration of living. Narrated clearly and with spirit by the author, a hospice chaplain, ON LIVING introduces listeners to a cornucopia of people and shares their moving, uplifting, sometimes wacky, and occasionally sad life lessons. With a light touch, Egan blends her own story into those of her clients, which makes listening all the more personal and special. You’ll wish you’d read this book in your twenties. It would not have saved you from idiocy and heartbreak, but it would have helped to be reminded occasionally about what really matters. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Review
2016-08-03
Lessons about life from those preparing to die.A longtime hospice chaplain, Egan (Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago, 2004) shares what she has learned through the stories of those nearing death. She notices that for every life, there are shared stories of heartbreak, pain, guilt, fear, and regret. “Every one of us will go through things that destroy our inner compass and pull meaning out from under us,” she writes. “Everyone who does not die young will go through some sort of spiritual crisis.” The author is also straightforward in noting that through her experiences with the brokenness of others, and in trying to assist in that brokenness, she has found healing for herself. Several years ago, during a C-section, Egan suffered a bad reaction to the anesthesia, leading to months of psychotic disorders and years of recovery. The experience left her with tremendous emotional pain and latent feelings of shame, regret, and anger. However, with each patient she helped, the author found herself better understanding her own past. Despite her role as a chaplain, Egan notes that she rarely discussed God or religious subjects with her patients. Mainly, when people could talk at all, they discussed their families, “because that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives.” It is through families, Egan began to realize, that “we find meaning, and this is where our purpose becomes clear.” The author’s anecdotes are often thought-provoking combinations of sublime humor and tragic pathos. She is not afraid to point out times where she made mistakes, even downright failures, in the course of her work. However, the nature of her work means “living in the gray,” where right and wrong answers are often hard to identify. A moving, heartfelt account of a hospice veteran.
