Kirkus review / Marv Taking Charge

On By Lois RoelofsIn aging, faith, Health, Marv Taking Charge, writing

I’m still a bit laid up with fractures I sustained from a fall on 9/7, and I can’t type easily with an arm cast on and two opposite fingers buddy-taped. But, as you can see in this photo, I’m ambulatory. And grateful for my daughter’s full-service grocery-shopping assistance. And full-service help with every aspect of my recuperation.

So since I can’t type easily, I’ll share this recent Kirkus review of Marv Taking Charge as my blog post this time and hope to have my fingers free to write again in a few weeks. Here goes the review:

Roelofs recounts her husband’s battle with terminal cancer, and the strength she drew from both family and her spirituality.

In 1959, the author met her future husband, Marv—they were both freshman at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They wed three years later, and enjoyed an enviable marriage, but after 55 years, disaster struck: In 2018, Marv was diagnosed with late-stage small cell lung cancer, an aggressive disease already traveling through his bloodstream. The doctor gave him only weeks to live; a painful round of chemotherapy would only have added a few months to his life, at most. With an astonishing bravery, Marv decided against treatment: “I’ve lived a good life…I’ve been blessed. If this is God’s time for me, I’m okay with it.” The author chronicles the remaining days of Marv’s life—despite the doctors’ predictions, he lived more than six months. Ultimately, the cancer exacted a terrible toll on both his body and mind—besides the pain, he suffered considerable cognitive diminishment and even hallucinations. Roelofs lovingly assumed the role of his principal caregiver, an emotionally trying task, and began to prepare for the inconceivable—a new life without her husband. Her remembrance is a tapestry of complementary perspectives—she reprints email correspondences with various friends and family members, includes passages from her own blog, and shares Marv’s views on life, communicated in his own words. This is an exceedingly personal memoir, one that furnishes a granularly detailed account of Marv’s struggle, his family and upbringing, and the author’s part in his life. Roelofs’ candor is admirable, and her courage impressive, but this is likely too narrowly personal an account to garner a broad readership…

—Kirkus Reviews

Please share my book and/or its message with all the people you know who may face a terminal cancer someday. Let them know they have a choice, treatment or not.

15 thoughts on “Kirkus review / Marv Taking Charge”

  4. Sherry Haan's avatar Sherry Haan

    So sorry for your mishap! That falling is a nasty business, and always a surprise. Love the pink cast! You are so fortunate your daughter is nearby to help!

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  5. I’m not impressed with the Kirkus review. There is more to this memoir than the reviewer captured especially the last part that reads . . . “likely too narrowly personal an account to garner a broad readership . . .” Of course, since I traveled part of this road with Marv and Lois, I am indeed opinionated. I believe that Lois’ book is a poignant, and important story for the general public that mostly avoids facing end of life issues and, thereby, does not realize that there are choices available to allow a comfortable and dignified death. Just one of the great lessons that Lois gives is educating her readers about the “Patient Bill of Rights.” Sad that this reviewer missed the mark.

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    1. Thanks. Marianna. I see your point. Unfortunately, with Kirkus, they only change factual errors. I checked. If an author disagrees with a review, the author has the option to not give permission to Kirkus to post it and not post it themselves. Since a Kirkus review is costly, I’d imagine some authors may only post a fragment they can live with, or others, like me, agreeing with the whole review or not, have decided to post most of it. Rest assured, I’ve already had a large and varied readership!

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