Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: Mimi Malloy, at Last!

"Three generations of an Irish American family come to life in MacDonnell's humorous and poignant novel" (Booklist Reviews)

Mimi Malloy, at Last! by Julia MacDonnell.

Forced into an early retirement at the age of sixty-something, Mimi Malloy enjoys the simple things in life: True Blue cigarettes, her apartment in the heart of Quincy, and an evening with Frank Sinatra on the stereo and a Manhattan in her hand. Born into an Irish Catholic brood of seven, with six daughters of her own, she knows that life isn't just a bowl of cherries--that, sometimes, it's the pits. And when an MRI reveals that Mimi's brain is filled with black spots the prospect living out her days in an "Old Timer's facility" starts to look like more than just an idea at the top of her eldest daughter's to-do list.

Yet as Mimi prepares to take a stand, she stumbles upon an old pendant, and her memory starts to return--specifically, memories of a shockingly painful childhood, her long-lost sister Fagan, and the wicked stepmother she swore to forget.

By turns funny, wise, and whimsical, and always deeply moving, Mimi Malloy At Last is an unforgettable story of second chances and the family bonds that break us and remake us. Above all, it's a poignant reminder that it's never too late for love--and that one can always come of age a second time. (Publisher's Summary)

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

Mimi Malloy, at Last!

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