Book Title: Journey's End: Death, Dying and the End of Life
Authors: Victoria Brewster & Julie Saeger Nierenberg
​Category: Adult Non-Fiction; 558 pages
​Genre: Resource/Educational
Publisher: Xlibris
Release date: July 20, 2017
Tour dates: Sept 4 to 22, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M

Book Description:

In Journey's End, we write about death, dying, and end of life issues. We attempt to define and describe these real-life circumstances, and we discuss ways to proactively deal with them. Multiple personal and professional perspectives provide valuable insights.

What is dying like for dying persons, for loved ones, and for those who lend support in the process? Each experience will have unique qualities. Everyone dies in his own way, on his own schedule. While we explore the dying process, we make no assumptions about how any particular death will unfold.

Grief and bereavement support, training tools, and educational resources are included.
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Interview with the Authors:

LCR: Victoria and Julie, welcome to Library of Clean Reads! We love to showcase good nonfiction books, especially those that we feel are needed in our society. What was your purpose in writing this book?

VK & JSN: Our purpose in writing this book is it does not exist. There is no other book like it on the market. There are many books that cover various topics about death, dying, end of life, grief, bereavement, hospice, palliative care, but from one angle or perspective.

This book covers so many perspectives in one book and at 500 pages is a very comprehensive book.

LCR: How did you collaborate to write this book together?
VB & JSN: Victoria met Julie while reviewing the book Julie wrote about the experience of her father dying; Daddy this is it: Being-with My Dying Dad.

Julie and Victoria realized they had common interests and a common path to bring the topic of death and dying into a more acceptable and accepted perspective. Both had experienced death from both personal and professional avenues and were comfortable to discuss and write a book about the topic.

LCR: How is your book different from other books on the subject of death and dying?
VB & JSN: We looked in book stores, online, did a lot of research and noticed there was no one comprehensive book about death and dying. Journey’s End has multiple personal, professional, and societal perspectives. There are many quotes and resources to serve as tools on the subject related to death and dying education, professional training, and grief and bereavement support.

LCR: What is the best advice you can give to family members when it comes to facing or preparing for the end of life?

VB & JSN: Have discussions. Be open and honest with one another. Plan as much as possible; wills, advance care directives. Think about what you would want if you were to be diagnosed with a serious illness or disease. Do you want a funeral? Do you want a celebration of life ceremony before so you can hear what your friends and family would say about you? Do you want a typical funeral and burial? Do you want to be cremated? Who will pay for this?

LCR: Any more future projects together?

Yes! We have already begun book 2 as we call it which will focus on death and dying from cultural, ethnic, and religious perspectives. We are aiming for a Summer 2018 publication.

LCR: That sounds like another important book. Thanks for your hard work in writing books about topics that need to be discussed.

​Meet the Authors:

Victoria has a master of social work degree. She has worked as a case manager with older adults for the past seventeen years and as a group facilitator. Her past work experience was as a therapist with children and families, and as a case manager for adults with mental health issues. She just launched a consulting business, NorthernMSW to focus on end of life issues, planning, training, and advocacy, along with memoir writing and life legacy writing.

Julie was inspired equally by her professional backgrounds as a biomedical researcher and long time educator. Julie values open and lively discussions based on interview and research findings, trends in health and wellness, and exciting new modalities of treatment and professional education. She believes it will be through such discussions that we will create new and more satisfying cultural paradigms within which we may live all the days of our lives with dignity and quality of care.

Connect with the authors:  Website ~ Facebook ~ LinkedIn