(27)Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagain

Saturday, March 25, 2017


Libby Miller goes home after her doctor told her that she has cancer expecting to fall into the comforting arms of her husband.  Only for her husband to think she is upset because she found out his shattering news.  Before Libby can share her news Tom announces that he thinks he is gay.  More than being shattered, she is angry.  She feels as if she has wasted her life with a man who never loved her the way she needed to be loved.  Libby proceeds to stab her husband in the hand, quit her job, sell their condo, and go on an extended vacation in Puerto Rico.  While on vacation Libby has an opportunity to evaluate her life - and her death.  She comes to grip with her mortality and decides whether or not she will pursue treatment.  She also falls in love with a pilot by the name of Shiloh. As a cancer survivor himself he tries to persuade Libby to fight. But will he be able to convince her before it is too late?

Libby is one of those characters that has to grow on you.  I didn't like her at first. I didn't like the fact that she was keeping her cancer secret from the people who love her most - including her husband.  I don't know what it is like to have cancer - so I don't know what I would do.  But I don't think that I would keep it a secret.   I did start to like her about the time that she started to hook up with Shiloh.  He seemed to see through her exterior and was glad of that.  I will say that the scenery of Puerto Rico made me long for the blue skies and sandy beaches.  By the end of the book,  I thought that Libby had evolved into a more rational state of mind about her health and her relationships. There was a nice little surprise at the end and I was pleased with the way things ended.

Bottom line - Life and Other Near-Death Experiences wasn't really one of those sappy stories that you think of when you hear that the main character has cancer.  Libby Miller is kind of an anti-heroine in that aspect and anytime you have an anti-heroine you know you are in for a great read.

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