The In-Between: Book Review

 

Published 13 June 2023

Hadley Vlahos is a hospice nurse.  She goes by Nurse Hadley on social media--in part because she is divorced from Chris Vlahos and now married to Brett Fairley. And I know this because Hadley includes a lot of personal information on her TikTok, Instagram and YouTube accounts. 

Her book does contain a lot of good information about hospice in the form of describing her interaction with a handful of terminal patients and their family members. The best thing about her book is her willingness to share her own journey supporting these people. She also describes them richly as complex and sympathetic people. 

However, the biggest weakness is also her book shifting into memoir at points. I have read and reviewed about fifty books about death, dying, and bereavement. Each one does have a contribution to make to the topic; however, if you are a "just the facts, ma'am" type of reader, Hadley's book will be a bad fit. I do think, however, she makes the topic particularly accessible to younger generations.  

End-of-life concerns is not just an issue for older adults. Death effects everyone. 

Related: 

Books on the Dying Process