Leigha
Written on Mar 14, 2019
I don’t usually enjoy memoirs, but I did enjoy When Breath Becomes Air. It’s a well-written novel blending together literature, philosophy, and science. While many people will focus on the author’s diagnosis, I found myself utterly fascinated by the rigors of medicine. His training and education regiment stunned me. I knew becoming a doctor took years and years of practice, but giving yourself over to the profession is mind-blowing. If you’re doctor reading my review, I want to thank you for you being you.
Of course, the heartbreaking reality of the novel is his diagnosis. It claims to be an unfinished novel, but it didn’t feel unfinished to me. It felt like one long beautiful letter to his daughter, explaining the way he lived and the way he died. The epilogue by his wife was absolutely heartbreaking. I can only imagine suffering from the grief of losing a loved one, while simultaneously celebrating the joy of bringing a loved one into the world. Where is her memoir?
tl;dr A well-written, poignant novel about a young neurosurgeon coming to terms with his life and his death.