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Seven Days To Say 'I Love You'
Essential reading for those dealing with the loss of a loved one, this is a memoir that will touch everyone who sometimes struggles to say those magic words.
Seven Days to say ‘I Love You’ is the diary of a son who finds himself at the centre of a family crisis when his Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In a compelling account of the last week of his father’s life, the author takes the reader on an emotionally-charged journey towards the inevitable.
Poignant and insightful, and written with heartfelt honesty, this is a true story which you will never forget, and which may just change your life.
'A stunning read’
'Beautiful in its simplicity'
'An uplifting story'
Seven Days to say ‘I Love You’ is the diary of a son who finds himself at the centre of a family crisis when his Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In a compelling account of the last week of his father’s life, the author takes the reader on an emotionally-charged journey towards the inevitable.
Poignant and insightful, and written with heartfelt honesty, this is a true story which you will never forget, and which may just change your life.
'A stunning read’
'Beautiful in its simplicity'
'An uplifting story'
- GenresNonfiction
Nook
First published May 28, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 6, 2011
Book Title: Seven Days to Say 'I Love You'
Author: Ashley Hames
Manuscript Copy
Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review
A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist.
~Stewart Alsop
After his father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ashley is faced with the task of preparing his father to die and his family to grieve. Only days are given for his father to live. Although a close family, the words 'I love you' are not often said but are mostly inferred. Ashley makes it his goal to say those very words to his father before he pasts on. Most people have no problem in professing their love for one another, be it true or not, but Ashley finds it a true labor of love to utter them and mean them.
This a narrative of how Ashley and his family experience this heart wrenching stage of life. It is written in a raw, brutal and honest voice in describing the processes of saying goodbye to a treasured loved one. The author has opened his heart and his soul in writing this book and allows us to experience the pain and anguish felt from the lost of a parent.
I can not imagine loosing a close family member, especially my Dad. At the writing of this review, my Dad is scheduled to have open heart surgery which makes the fear of loosing him real. After reading this book, I have made it a point to tell my Dad and my Mom, that I love them. I find it a great gesture and a gift even to be able to say those words to them while they are still with me.
Words of caution: you will not be able to put this book down and it will change your outlook on life for the better. I actually was given this in a manuscript form, which I will cherish forever and always.
Author: Ashley Hames
Manuscript Copy
Reviewed by Michele Tater for The Couch Tater Review
A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist.
~Stewart Alsop
After his father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ashley is faced with the task of preparing his father to die and his family to grieve. Only days are given for his father to live. Although a close family, the words 'I love you' are not often said but are mostly inferred. Ashley makes it his goal to say those very words to his father before he pasts on. Most people have no problem in professing their love for one another, be it true or not, but Ashley finds it a true labor of love to utter them and mean them.
This a narrative of how Ashley and his family experience this heart wrenching stage of life. It is written in a raw, brutal and honest voice in describing the processes of saying goodbye to a treasured loved one. The author has opened his heart and his soul in writing this book and allows us to experience the pain and anguish felt from the lost of a parent.
I can not imagine loosing a close family member, especially my Dad. At the writing of this review, my Dad is scheduled to have open heart surgery which makes the fear of loosing him real. After reading this book, I have made it a point to tell my Dad and my Mom, that I love them. I find it a great gesture and a gift even to be able to say those words to them while they are still with me.
Words of caution: you will not be able to put this book down and it will change your outlook on life for the better. I actually was given this in a manuscript form, which I will cherish forever and always.
February 25, 2012
Wow....this book left me feeling all kinds of emotions. Ashley's father has been told that he has terminal liver cancer & doesn't have long to live & this is about Ashley's journey through it all. I thought this book was so well written & I could identify with a lot that he was thinking about (especially the part about smoking & not caring but also being afraid of dying himself). I got this book free on Amazon & am so glad I decided to read it.
July 23, 2016
One world: WONDERFUL.
March 23, 2012
Goodreads says: Essential reading for those dealing with the loss of a loved one, this is a memoir that will touch everyone who sometimes struggles to say those magic words.
Seven Days to say ‘I Love You’ is the diary of a son who finds himself at the centre of a family crisis when his Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In a compelling account of the last week of his father’s life, the author takes the reader on an emotionally-charged journey towards the inevitable.
Poignant and insightful, and written with heartfelt honesty, this is a true story which you will never forget, and which may just change your life.
What an agonizingly sad yet beautiful story about how the author comes to terms with his dad's terminal illness and death. The author did a wonderful job in transporting the reader in such a way that you are walking along side of him the entire time. You are forever present in the room he is in, the dreams he dreams, the feelings he feels.
It was definitely a great read and recommend it to everyone. Beware: You will cry... A Lot.
Seven Days to say ‘I Love You’ is the diary of a son who finds himself at the centre of a family crisis when his Dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In a compelling account of the last week of his father’s life, the author takes the reader on an emotionally-charged journey towards the inevitable.
Poignant and insightful, and written with heartfelt honesty, this is a true story which you will never forget, and which may just change your life.
What an agonizingly sad yet beautiful story about how the author comes to terms with his dad's terminal illness and death. The author did a wonderful job in transporting the reader in such a way that you are walking along side of him the entire time. You are forever present in the room he is in, the dreams he dreams, the feelings he feels.
It was definitely a great read and recommend it to everyone. Beware: You will cry... A Lot.
January 14, 2013
Very well written, very heart wrenching but I am glad that I took the time to read it.
August 7, 2019
Touching true read about a son who has seven days left to tell his father he loves him as he is in the final stages of dying . Clearly written from the heart , you could feel his emotions through his written word .
January 28, 2013
I chose to read this book after spending some time flicking through my kindle for a book that wasn't too big so that I could get this year's 52 book challenge back on track but I also wanted to read something different. I wasn't sure what I was going to get myself into when I looked at the excerpt and didn't know how such a book would make me feel. It is the true story of a young man who discovers that his father is dying of terminal liver cancer and how it affects his life and the life of his family. I knew straight away that this read would be different (and difficult) but I simply had no idea how different.
First of all I must say that I have never come across Ashley Hames before, he is a broadcaster, a presenter and a writer but I have never seen any of his work before. But after reading this very personal and emotional story I feel as if I know him better that a lot of the people in my life! If you are looking for an edge of your seat thriller or the latest action filled blockbuster then this book isn't for you. But if you are looking for something that will move you and get to you emotionally and spiritually and something that will be thought provoking on all levels then read this.
I could go on about '7 days' until my fingers go numb but I think I will sum it up by saying that it is simply emotionally powerful, encouraging, helpful and thought provoking. I will say something now that I haven't had the chance to say before as well. I like books that make me feel something, whether that is joy, excitement, fear, happiness or sadness but this is the ONLY book I have ever read where I have been in tears at the end. Real tears. I was emotional touched by this man's story and I am sure he was feeling each and every emotion as he wrote those final devastating accounts of his father's farewell. I'm sure 7 days to say I love you will be a great help to anybody who is grieving or who has gone through the loss of a loved one. I am not going through anything like that at the moment but it has helped me on an emotional level as I go through the many challenges life has thrown at me. I work as an Oncology nurse and I feel this book has given me more than just an insight into what families go through, it has opened my mind.
This book will linger with me.I'd really love to see a photo of Ashley's father and I wish I had had the pleasure of knowing him. 5/5
July 3, 2013
Ashley Hames first novel entitled, “Seven Days to say I Love You” takes you through the week leading up to his father’s death. It is personal to the point of uncomfortable at times because Hames style drags you into the room.
Standing next to someone while they fight the internal battle against insomnia and depression while struggling to verbally express feelings of love for someone that they know they are about to lose is very tough. Despite this, you want to be there for Hames. You are brought into the moment and at times believe you can help.
As the book begins and you begin to grasp what you have taken on but don’t know how far the story can go given its deeply personal nature. Unlike some books of a similar ilk, it is not difficult to get into and within pages you find yourself looking for any opportunity to carry on reading. It reads quickly and easily but at no point does it lose its sensitivity or poignancy.
The book deals with loss with the maturity of hindsight but Hames doesn’t shy away from using his own experiences to illustrate why at points in his life his behaviour changed, such as his abstinence from drugs following the death of his friend.
Hames deals with grief in a no frills manner and people who have experienced loss will be able to relate to his honest descriptions of the weeks and months that followed his father’s passing.
Throughout the book you want to reach out to Hames and his family and give them a hug. This sounds painfully simplistic and not objectively analytical but you find yourself so attached that the instinctive human reaction is to want to reach out and hug them.
Hames has self-published this book and it is only available on the kindle but even for those like me who love the printed word, it shouldn’t stop you giving this one a go. Many tears were shed on tube journeys reading it on my phone and I can only recommend it to others.
Standing next to someone while they fight the internal battle against insomnia and depression while struggling to verbally express feelings of love for someone that they know they are about to lose is very tough. Despite this, you want to be there for Hames. You are brought into the moment and at times believe you can help.
As the book begins and you begin to grasp what you have taken on but don’t know how far the story can go given its deeply personal nature. Unlike some books of a similar ilk, it is not difficult to get into and within pages you find yourself looking for any opportunity to carry on reading. It reads quickly and easily but at no point does it lose its sensitivity or poignancy.
The book deals with loss with the maturity of hindsight but Hames doesn’t shy away from using his own experiences to illustrate why at points in his life his behaviour changed, such as his abstinence from drugs following the death of his friend.
Hames deals with grief in a no frills manner and people who have experienced loss will be able to relate to his honest descriptions of the weeks and months that followed his father’s passing.
Throughout the book you want to reach out to Hames and his family and give them a hug. This sounds painfully simplistic and not objectively analytical but you find yourself so attached that the instinctive human reaction is to want to reach out and hug them.
Hames has self-published this book and it is only available on the kindle but even for those like me who love the printed word, it shouldn’t stop you giving this one a go. Many tears were shed on tube journeys reading it on my phone and I can only recommend it to others.
April 12, 2012
I am about 50% through the book, and can't seem to find the urge to finish it. Maybe I am just not in the mood for this type of book right now. Extremely serious, grief-ridden story about what the author goes through when his dad dies. Will set it to the side for awhile...maybe I will finish it later.
UPDATE...struggled to finish this book. I just could not get into it. I can definitely appreciate what the author goes through, but didn't find it to be one of those books that I just "had to finish".
UPDATE...struggled to finish this book. I just could not get into it. I can definitely appreciate what the author goes through, but didn't find it to be one of those books that I just "had to finish".
December 29, 2013
I actually really enjoyed this book - but you have to read it for exactly what it is. A diary filled with raw emotion, with little to no editing and no substance of a traditional fiction.
Read it for the raw emotive language and the true feeling behind every word.
Read it for the raw emotive language and the true feeling behind every word.
April 3, 2014
For me this was a struggle for me to finish I thought it heart pulling but it didn't 'pull' me in.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews