Hospice voices: lessons for living at the end of life by Eric Lindner

Anyone who has experienced the hospice care of a loved one knows it is an unforgettable experience.  I picked up this book hoping to get a glimpse of other folks' experiences.  Eric Lindner volunteered to be a hospice companion and then wrote about his experiences with several patient families. The first problem I had with the book was its organization.  I imagine Mr. Lindner struggled with how to tell his story in a meaningful way.  He decided to write a chapter about  the lesson he learned from each patient.  I found this structure confusing because he was often volunteering with several patients simultaneously.  For example, Bob Zimmerman, his first patient, passes away at the end of the second chapter but Lindner mentions him, as still living,  in later chapters.  I think the book might have worked better for me if it had been arranged chronologically rather than thematically.  I did like that he included photos of his patients that captured the essence of their personalities.  The photos helped me to see that his patients were not just deaths-in-waiting but vital personages who had lived full lives. 211 pages.