Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Mayflower Myths Dispelled

The story of the Pilgrims and their harvest feast has become an integral part of our history but how much do you really know? Explore the history of the Pilgrim settlement in bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower. The true story of the Pilgrims is a 55 year epic dominated by race, violence, and religion. Learn about popular misconceptions including the nature of the European diseases suffered by the native tribes and the truth about the working relationship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans in this fresh and compelling portrait about the dawn of American history.

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Mayflower Myths Dispelled

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