I’ve been reading a lot of pretty good books lately, but finally I read one that I loved! Debra Adelaide’s The Household Guide to Dying is a wonderful novel. Although from the title, it seems a bit depressing, this is actually a very life-affirming novel.

Delia, the main character, is dying of cancer, and with all her typical organizational skills, she writes a guide about it, along with lists and other preperations for her family-she even orders her own coffin and takes pictures of herself in it for the cover!

The novel moves back in forth through time to when she was a young mother up to the present day. I don’t want to write too much about the story. You should read this wondeful novel for yourself. It is an honest, tender and intelligent novel.

It is also full of so many references to literature, as Delia is a lifelong lover of books. This was just an added bonus for those of us who share her passion. I was sad to put this book down when it ended.