Cover of The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs

The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying

Nina Riggs

Why I recommend it

Riggs writes about living with terminal cancer with warmth, humor, and close attention to ordinary life. Family life keeps happening alongside fear and uncertainty, and she makes room for all of it.

What stayed with me

Joy and grief can occupy the same day. The small details of a life don’t become less important when its future is uncertain.

Who it’s useful for

Memoir readers and people looking for company in writing about illness, family, and loss.

A tension or limitation

This is intimate writing about dying. Whether it feels companionable or too close may depend on when it finds you.