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Still, I Cannot Save You: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Love, and Letting Go
Shortlisted for the 2024 Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award
Nominated for the Inaugural Reader's Choice Award
With honesty, love, and humour, in this moving memoir, Kelly S. Thompson explores her relationship with her older sister, Meghan. Tested by addiction, abuse, and illness, the sisters’ relationship crumbles, only to be rebuilt into an everlasting bond.
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship.
Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites—Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiralled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
At once funny and heartbreaking, Still, I Cannot Save You is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy, but above all, it is a powerful portrait of an enduring love between sisters.
Nominated for the Inaugural Reader's Choice Award
With honesty, love, and humour, in this moving memoir, Kelly S. Thompson explores her relationship with her older sister, Meghan. Tested by addiction, abuse, and illness, the sisters’ relationship crumbles, only to be rebuilt into an everlasting bond.
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship.
Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites—Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiralled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
At once funny and heartbreaking, Still, I Cannot Save You is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy, but above all, it is a powerful portrait of an enduring love between sisters.
Audible Audio
First published February 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
February 14, 2023
A moving memoir about the complicated relationship between two Canadian sisters, childhood cancer, infertility (PCOS) and cancer later in life that ultimately has one sister having to watch the other die. Very moving and hard to read at times. This story was really about forgiveness and love and being there for family when they need you the most. Great on audio read by the author. Much thanks to @Librofm for an ALC.
March 19, 2024
I cried a bucket of tears reading this book. The mending of a relationship between two sisters who have had a tenuous bond at best over the years hit close to home for me. This book is an honest look at an imperfect sibling relationship, one in which a tragic diagnosis brings them together in a way I’m sure neither of them imagined would happen. 10 stars, if I could rate it more highly, I truly would.
January 11, 2023
A Canadian memoir about sisterhood, forgiveness, sickness, accepting death, and love. Thompson’s story is a heartbreaker and it made me want to hold my sister close. It’s hard not to give vulnerable memoirs like this 5 stars, because sharing their story is so honest and brave and judging that on a sale of 1-5 stars feels cruel.
April 9, 2023
*Libro.fm*
This book is so heartbreaking and so so beautiful. Reading it, Ì had a very similar experience to when I read "The Last Doctor" and "I'm glad my mom died" (that I both adored, btw.). It helped me feel at peace with a lot of things, mostly because I could relate to the narrator so much.
We follow Kelly and learn about her relationship with her big sister, Meghan. Most of her life, Kelly actually has to act like the big sister, not the little one. Meg had a cancer when she was younger, then got addicted to drugs and then became sick with another cancer. Between all of those things, Meg experience abuse from her husband. I saw so much of myself in Kelly. She described so beautifully the way you can both hate and love more than anything someone. You can hold grudges, be jealous, be sick of them, tired, even. And yet you'd die for them if you had to.
I also stopped saying "I love you" to my older sister for many, many years. She has anorexia and she acted like an addict, she was mean and she was letting herself die. I was only a child then, with so much frustration within me. When she almost died, I regretted feeling this towards her, even if these feelings were very real in the moment. I had to grow up a lot faster and take care of her because she had no friends and no will to take care of herself.
She then got into an abusive relationship and again, Kelly voiced exactly what I was thinking : "How can you settle for this? How can you think that's the best you can have?"
By the end of this memoir, the author talks about grief and moving on. This was liberating and so well written. I was close to tears during a lot of passages, but the jokes and tenderness between the sisters also made me smile.
Such a great read. <3
9/10
This book is so heartbreaking and so so beautiful. Reading it, Ì had a very similar experience to when I read "The Last Doctor" and "I'm glad my mom died" (that I both adored, btw.). It helped me feel at peace with a lot of things, mostly because I could relate to the narrator so much.
We follow Kelly and learn about her relationship with her big sister, Meghan. Most of her life, Kelly actually has to act like the big sister, not the little one. Meg had a cancer when she was younger, then got addicted to drugs and then became sick with another cancer. Between all of those things, Meg experience abuse from her husband. I saw so much of myself in Kelly. She described so beautifully the way you can both hate and love more than anything someone. You can hold grudges, be jealous, be sick of them, tired, even. And yet you'd die for them if you had to.
I also stopped saying "I love you" to my older sister for many, many years. She has anorexia and she acted like an addict, she was mean and she was letting herself die. I was only a child then, with so much frustration within me. When she almost died, I regretted feeling this towards her, even if these feelings were very real in the moment. I had to grow up a lot faster and take care of her because she had no friends and no will to take care of herself.
She then got into an abusive relationship and again, Kelly voiced exactly what I was thinking : "How can you settle for this? How can you think that's the best you can have?"
By the end of this memoir, the author talks about grief and moving on. This was liberating and so well written. I was close to tears during a lot of passages, but the jokes and tenderness between the sisters also made me smile.
Such a great read. <3
9/10
January 21, 2023
A story about the bonds of family in times of need, love, and grief dispite complicated sibling relationships. I didn't know this was a Canadian author before reading, so imagine my surprise when the first location was a mall 20 mins. from my house. I definitely did a double take!
Well written vulnerable and heartfelt.. "Even the ugly parts"... I'll definitely look for more from this author.
Thank you to Kelly S. Thompson, Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC. Publication date is Feb. 14, 2023
Well written vulnerable and heartfelt.. "Even the ugly parts"... I'll definitely look for more from this author.
Thank you to Kelly S. Thompson, Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC. Publication date is Feb. 14, 2023
December 7, 2023
cried for 4 hours straight. read it in one day. devastating and beautiful.
February 28, 2023
While I feel blessed to have the best relationship with my sister, I am fully aware that sisterhood doesn't always correlate with friendship.
"Still, I Cannot Save You" is a memoir of sisterhood, love, and letting go. It is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy but above all, it is a powerful portrait of love between sisters that gets tested at times but rebuilds into an everlasting bond.
A story that reminds me that despite all fingers being unequal, they unite to fight the odds when they make a fist. Sisters can be different in temperament, but they share a history, a bond, and jokes that nobody in the family can understand.
It is one such book which is not easy to read, but you cannot put it down. Clinically written with a keen eye to details of everyday life, the book takes the reader to the lives of the Thompsons –– their grief, joy and hopefulness. Canadian locations' references hit home for me, connecting on a different level with Thompsons as I have been to those places many a times.
It is funny at times, heartbreaking at others. A raw memoir that takes bravery on a different level to pen those emotions down with such details. Thank you, Kelly, for sharing the most beautiful and vulnerable piece of your life with us.
This book is going to stay with me for a while. Meghan, we all love you!
Thank you, TandemCollective and Penguin Random House, for including me in the readalong.
Trigger warnings: Cancer, drug addiction, death of a close family member, domestic abuse.
"Still, I Cannot Save You" is a memoir of sisterhood, love, and letting go. It is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy but above all, it is a powerful portrait of love between sisters that gets tested at times but rebuilds into an everlasting bond.
A story that reminds me that despite all fingers being unequal, they unite to fight the odds when they make a fist. Sisters can be different in temperament, but they share a history, a bond, and jokes that nobody in the family can understand.
It is one such book which is not easy to read, but you cannot put it down. Clinically written with a keen eye to details of everyday life, the book takes the reader to the lives of the Thompsons –– their grief, joy and hopefulness. Canadian locations' references hit home for me, connecting on a different level with Thompsons as I have been to those places many a times.
It is funny at times, heartbreaking at others. A raw memoir that takes bravery on a different level to pen those emotions down with such details. Thank you, Kelly, for sharing the most beautiful and vulnerable piece of your life with us.
This book is going to stay with me for a while. Meghan, we all love you!
Thank you, TandemCollective and Penguin Random House, for including me in the readalong.
Trigger warnings: Cancer, drug addiction, death of a close family member, domestic abuse.
April 28, 2023
4.5 stars, but rounded up to 5 stars.
So freaking good for a memoir with a sad ending. I love the sister relationship even if Megan takes her sister and parents for granted.
This title has become my mantra. As women, I think we are conditioned to be helpers and saviors. Ultimately, we can only save ourselves. We can only make the next good choice/decision to keep moving forward.
Highly recommend this book if you love someone with addiction issues.
So freaking good for a memoir with a sad ending. I love the sister relationship even if Megan takes her sister and parents for granted.
This title has become my mantra. As women, I think we are conditioned to be helpers and saviors. Ultimately, we can only save ourselves. We can only make the next good choice/decision to keep moving forward.
Highly recommend this book if you love someone with addiction issues.
December 31, 2023
Beautiful, honest, moving.
February 12, 2024
This candid and beautifully written memoir is a heartbreaking look at family, sisters in particular, and the healing we can and cannot do. As Kelly comes to terms with her relationship with her maddening, often dishonest and drug-addicted sister, Meghan, it’s not clear if the girls can repair the loss of trust between them. Meghan, who suffered and survived childhood cancer, is a complex and vulnerable person, with an inner sweetness still visible (at times) to her sister, who has seen it all.
As much a story about forgiveness as it is about love, - what does one do when our nearest and dearest is also the single-most factor causing us the most pain? When the choices another makes are so obviously “wrong”, yet so completely and utterly out of our own hands that any retaliatory actions we may even consider spiral us further into anxiety and despair?
The girls, so radically different, each live through their own challenges and crises, both feeling the push and pull of the intensity born of sisterhood, as they do their best to offer assistance to each other, and struggle to stay afloat themselves.
Kelly, a logistics officer at the time, lives in a world of rationality unknown to her sensitive and affectionate sister, whose quest for immersion and belonging takes her into dark and dangerous places. Hardest of all, as Kelly comes to terms with her own inner judgements (we all judge, but so few of us have the courage to recognize it) she must ultimately resolve how to best manage herself, while still offering support to her sister.
This is a truly gut-wrenching story, shared so selflessly by the author, taking us to a place that just doesn’t seem even remotely fair, as we follow a family, whose courage and commitment cannot help but make a reader question - would I, could I, imagine a world of my own, fraught with this level of pain, yet tackled with so much bravery?
The answer, of course, (as Kelly herself reveals so poignantly), must be lived to be actually known.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts provided are my own.
#netgalley #bookstagram #memoir
As much a story about forgiveness as it is about love, - what does one do when our nearest and dearest is also the single-most factor causing us the most pain? When the choices another makes are so obviously “wrong”, yet so completely and utterly out of our own hands that any retaliatory actions we may even consider spiral us further into anxiety and despair?
The girls, so radically different, each live through their own challenges and crises, both feeling the push and pull of the intensity born of sisterhood, as they do their best to offer assistance to each other, and struggle to stay afloat themselves.
Kelly, a logistics officer at the time, lives in a world of rationality unknown to her sensitive and affectionate sister, whose quest for immersion and belonging takes her into dark and dangerous places. Hardest of all, as Kelly comes to terms with her own inner judgements (we all judge, but so few of us have the courage to recognize it) she must ultimately resolve how to best manage herself, while still offering support to her sister.
This is a truly gut-wrenching story, shared so selflessly by the author, taking us to a place that just doesn’t seem even remotely fair, as we follow a family, whose courage and commitment cannot help but make a reader question - would I, could I, imagine a world of my own, fraught with this level of pain, yet tackled with so much bravery?
The answer, of course, (as Kelly herself reveals so poignantly), must be lived to be actually known.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts provided are my own.
#netgalley #bookstagram #memoir
February 6, 2023
(4.5 stars)
Thompson wrote a beautifully raw and heartbreaking memoir about her sister. While I anticipated the story to have much more to do with her sister's addiction, it primarily focused on her battle with cancer. I think this distinction is important to make when deciding to take on this book, as it will leave you heartbroken. Thompson did such a great job telling such a deeply personal and emotional story with just enough restraint. I’m sure it was done out of respect for other family members, and especially her children, and I admire her for it. This story was full of love, sacrifice, frustration, and suffering. It had me in tears imagining myself in the role of sister, mother, or fighter. As a Canadian living in the GTA I enjoyed the fact that I knew the places she referenced. I had half a mind to drive up to Barrie and find a certain someone from her life and give them a piece of my mind… This beautifully written book brought me to tears, and I can only imagine would have made her sister very proud.
This book comes out February 14th, 2023, so please get your copy there and support this Canadian woman!
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley, and Kelly S. Thompson for this ARC.
Thompson wrote a beautifully raw and heartbreaking memoir about her sister. While I anticipated the story to have much more to do with her sister's addiction, it primarily focused on her battle with cancer. I think this distinction is important to make when deciding to take on this book, as it will leave you heartbroken. Thompson did such a great job telling such a deeply personal and emotional story with just enough restraint. I’m sure it was done out of respect for other family members, and especially her children, and I admire her for it. This story was full of love, sacrifice, frustration, and suffering. It had me in tears imagining myself in the role of sister, mother, or fighter. As a Canadian living in the GTA I enjoyed the fact that I knew the places she referenced. I had half a mind to drive up to Barrie and find a certain someone from her life and give them a piece of my mind… This beautifully written book brought me to tears, and I can only imagine would have made her sister very proud.
This book comes out February 14th, 2023, so please get your copy there and support this Canadian woman!
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley, and Kelly S. Thompson for this ARC.
February 9, 2023
Still I Cannot Save You is heartbreaking and beautiful. 🥺❤️ I laughed, I cried, I reflected on my own relationships with my sisters. Still, I Cannot Save You is an emotional memoir about “sisterhood, love and letting go.” Kelly’s relationship with her older sister Meghan has always been complicated. Meghan spent a good portion of her adult years as a drug addict, losing the trust and respect of her family. When Megan becomes a mother they finally begin to rebuild their fragile relationship. A tragic turn of events leads them closer together as they navigate the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis. “Still, I Cannot Save You is a story about addiction, abuse and tragedy, but above all, it is a powerful portrait of an enduring love between sisters.”
May 29, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This was the most incredible yet devastating story of sisterhood 😭
Kelly was so raw in telling all of the ups and downs of her and Meghan’s relationship. Meghan went through so much and I can only imagine what it would’ve felt like as a family member watching her deal with it all. Kelly conveys all of the moments…from beautiful, to funny, to ugly, to grotesque.
This was the most incredible yet devastating story of sisterhood 😭
Kelly was so raw in telling all of the ups and downs of her and Meghan’s relationship. Meghan went through so much and I can only imagine what it would’ve felt like as a family member watching her deal with it all. Kelly conveys all of the moments…from beautiful, to funny, to ugly, to grotesque.
February 12, 2023
Just finished this book tonight and I'm still emotional about it. Kelly wrote a beautiful memoir about her sister and their relationship. Chapter 25 to chapter 27 was close to my heart as I was comparing similarities of my mother's death at the Matthew's house hospice. I also found comfort in reading Kelly's feelings throughout the book and not feeling alone. I'm happy Meghan and Kelly were able to create memories during such a difficult and trying time. Meghan would be so proud of Kelly!
April 24, 2025
devastating
January 30, 2023
✨REVIEW - Still, I Cannot Save You by Kelly S Thompson✨
Keep your eyes open for this excellent upcoming Memoir, coming out Feb 14!
There is something so special to me about memoirs. We all are fighting battles that so many don’t know about. When we are feeling lonely, misunderstood or lost, memoirs bring us healing through relatability and connection. Grateful for those who have the courage to be so vulnerable and put their hardest life chapters out there for us to read!
Still, I Cannot Save You tells the gripping true and recent story of family violence, cancer, grief & loss, addiction. While these are all very sad themes, it also was full of connection and love. There is so much relatability and humanity in here, you will feel connected to Kelly and her family too!
I haven’t cried from a book in two years (Crying in H Mart, ironically also about cancer and family ties 😅…maybe a trigger point for me 🤔) and this one had be SOBBING at parts.
Would I recommend? YES
Will you feel a lot of feelings? YES
Worth it? COMPLETELY
Thank you @netgalley @mcclellandstewart for this ARC, and extra thank you to @kellysthompsonwriter for putting this book out to the world! I will feel impacted a long time after reading this one.
Keep your eyes open for this excellent upcoming Memoir, coming out Feb 14!
There is something so special to me about memoirs. We all are fighting battles that so many don’t know about. When we are feeling lonely, misunderstood or lost, memoirs bring us healing through relatability and connection. Grateful for those who have the courage to be so vulnerable and put their hardest life chapters out there for us to read!
Still, I Cannot Save You tells the gripping true and recent story of family violence, cancer, grief & loss, addiction. While these are all very sad themes, it also was full of connection and love. There is so much relatability and humanity in here, you will feel connected to Kelly and her family too!
I haven’t cried from a book in two years (Crying in H Mart, ironically also about cancer and family ties 😅…maybe a trigger point for me 🤔) and this one had be SOBBING at parts.
Would I recommend? YES
Will you feel a lot of feelings? YES
Worth it? COMPLETELY
Thank you @netgalley @mcclellandstewart for this ARC, and extra thank you to @kellysthompsonwriter for putting this book out to the world! I will feel impacted a long time after reading this one.
July 2, 2023
A Canadian memoir chronicling Kelly Thompson’s complicated relationship with her sister, Meghan.
Kelly and Meghan‘s relationship is fractured when Meghan becomes an addict in her teenage years. It is only when Meghan is diagnosed with cancer that the sisters come back together to rebuild their relationship.
What an absolutely devastating and heart-wrenching read. I imagine if I had a sister this would have been nearly impossible to get through.
The sisters intimacy is what really shone through for me Thompson adeptly showed all of the nuances of their relationship - the humour, the shared memories, and the comfort they have with each other. It was beautiful to witness this love. I highly recommend this book but bring tissues!
Kelly and Meghan‘s relationship is fractured when Meghan becomes an addict in her teenage years. It is only when Meghan is diagnosed with cancer that the sisters come back together to rebuild their relationship.
What an absolutely devastating and heart-wrenching read. I imagine if I had a sister this would have been nearly impossible to get through.
The sisters intimacy is what really shone through for me Thompson adeptly showed all of the nuances of their relationship - the humour, the shared memories, and the comfort they have with each other. It was beautiful to witness this love. I highly recommend this book but bring tissues!
March 25, 2024
I knew going into this book, that it was a memoir about two sisters, Kelly and Meghan, and that one of the sisters struggled with a drug addiction. I assumed the book was going to be more about how that factor affected their relationship, but in actuality, this memoir focuses more on the rebuilding of their broken, complicated relationship once Meghan is in recovery and a new diagnosis rocks both their worlds.
This memoir is like a love story to sisters everywhere. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking, honest and raw, showing how special that sisterly bond can be even when faced with a long history of challenges and hurt. It made me so incredibly grateful for my own wonderful sister and had me wanting to jump in my car and drive 3 hours just to give her a big hug.
There’s a quick moment at the end in the audiobook version where a short clip from a voicemail from Meghan is shared that just broke me 💔. This could not have been an easy book to write, or story to share, but thank you for doing so, Kelly.
This memoir is like a love story to sisters everywhere. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking, honest and raw, showing how special that sisterly bond can be even when faced with a long history of challenges and hurt. It made me so incredibly grateful for my own wonderful sister and had me wanting to jump in my car and drive 3 hours just to give her a big hug.
There’s a quick moment at the end in the audiobook version where a short clip from a voicemail from Meghan is shared that just broke me 💔. This could not have been an easy book to write, or story to share, but thank you for doing so, Kelly.
January 20, 2024
Unbelievably emotional book. The author included the good, the bad and the incredibly sad aspects of her sister's journey. I cried no less than 15 times while reading this book and immediately told my own sister to read it so she could emotionally suffer with me.
July 15, 2024
“Adulthood had made me a realist, And not every story of sisterhood has a tidy ending. Not having a relationship with my sister was familiar and stable”
This is a beautifully, raw and heartbreaking memoir about sisters and the healing we can and can’t do. It is so moving and raw. I cried a few times while reading this, I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.
This is a beautifully, raw and heartbreaking memoir about sisters and the healing we can and can’t do. It is so moving and raw. I cried a few times while reading this, I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.
December 22, 2023
Stunning book full of heart, vulnerability, and generosity. Despite knowing how it would end, I wished for an alternative reality where Meghan and Kelly grow old together. In its rawness, it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you want a true story of love and caregiving, and the joy, ugliness, and lessons learnt from it, this is not to be missed.
February 6, 2023
Fucking devastating. Spectacular.
April 29, 2024
This book is absolutely heartbreaking; listened on audio and the final chapter ruined me 😭 needed to read over a few weeks to be in the right mental state to listen
June 26, 2023
Title:
Still, I Cannot Save You
Author: Kelly S. Thompson
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 14, 2023
I received complimentary eARC of this book from McClelland & Stewart and Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Moving • Reflective • Tragic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship. Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites—Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiraled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I requested an advanced copy of Still, I Cannot Save You mostly because I was intrigued by reading a memoir from the point-of-view of a family member of someone afflicted with addiction. I connected with Kelly's story in ways I never expected, despite the addiction aspect taking a back seat.
An emotional and devastatingly beautiful memoir written with openness and honesty, exploring sibling dynamics and relationships. Kelly lays bare how complicated family relationships can be. She holds nothing back in describing her relationship with her sister - the good, the bad and the ugly. Incredibly well-written, this memoir is filled with love, hope and humour. There is also so much room for reflection, which I appreciated.
Overall, Still, I Cannot Save You is a powerful reminder to how complicated relationships are, and the enduring bonds of sisters. There is so much rawness and realness within its page that I laughed and I cried numerous times. It took me by surprise how much of an emotional journey it took me on.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who have loved someone with addiction
• anyone looking for a memoir with sibling themes
⚠️ CW: domestic abuse, drug use, drug abuse, addiction, cancer, terminal illness, death, sibling death, grief, medical content, mental illness, strained familial relationships, pregnancy, alcoholism
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sisters come back to one another, I think. When they're ready."
Author: Kelly S. Thompson
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: February 14, 2023
I received complimentary eARC of this book from McClelland & Stewart and Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Moving • Reflective • Tragic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship. Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites—Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiraled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I requested an advanced copy of Still, I Cannot Save You mostly because I was intrigued by reading a memoir from the point-of-view of a family member of someone afflicted with addiction. I connected with Kelly's story in ways I never expected, despite the addiction aspect taking a back seat.
An emotional and devastatingly beautiful memoir written with openness and honesty, exploring sibling dynamics and relationships. Kelly lays bare how complicated family relationships can be. She holds nothing back in describing her relationship with her sister - the good, the bad and the ugly. Incredibly well-written, this memoir is filled with love, hope and humour. There is also so much room for reflection, which I appreciated.
Overall, Still, I Cannot Save You is a powerful reminder to how complicated relationships are, and the enduring bonds of sisters. There is so much rawness and realness within its page that I laughed and I cried numerous times. It took me by surprise how much of an emotional journey it took me on.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who have loved someone with addiction
• anyone looking for a memoir with sibling themes
⚠️ CW: domestic abuse, drug use, drug abuse, addiction, cancer, terminal illness, death, sibling death, grief, medical content, mental illness, strained familial relationships, pregnancy, alcoholism
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sisters come back to one another, I think. When they're ready."
February 28, 2023
I’ve sat for a day with this memoir wondering how I could possibly review it and give it any justice.
This was unexpected.
This memoir is the most beautifully written book, filled with so much grief and so many emotions that I will never forget it.
When I finished this all I wanted was to hug not only my children and everyone I love but @kellysthompsonwriter as well. Thank you Kelly for being so open and vulnerable for sharing your story and your grief with the world.
I’m not typically a non-fiction reader as I’m sure most of you have gleamed from my page. This, hands down, will forever be a non-fiction that I will recommend.
I didn’t post as much as I typically would with a Tandem readalong, because honestly this was a hard read and it brought up a lot of emotions.
Please know that if you read this and you would like to discuss, my inbox is always open.
Thank you to Tandem Collective Global, Penguin Random House and Kelly S Thompson for my copy of this book and for allowing me to be apart of this readalong. I am beyond grateful.
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This was unexpected.
This memoir is the most beautifully written book, filled with so much grief and so many emotions that I will never forget it.
When I finished this all I wanted was to hug not only my children and everyone I love but @kellysthompsonwriter as well. Thank you Kelly for being so open and vulnerable for sharing your story and your grief with the world.
I’m not typically a non-fiction reader as I’m sure most of you have gleamed from my page. This, hands down, will forever be a non-fiction that I will recommend.
I didn’t post as much as I typically would with a Tandem readalong, because honestly this was a hard read and it brought up a lot of emotions.
Please know that if you read this and you would like to discuss, my inbox is always open.
Thank you to Tandem Collective Global, Penguin Random House and Kelly S Thompson for my copy of this book and for allowing me to be apart of this readalong. I am beyond grateful.
AD-PR PRODUCT
October 17, 2023
Still, I Cannot Save You by Kelly S. Thompson is a moving memoir about the bond between sisters, forgiveness and unconditional love. It took me several days to finish this book, as I had to stop often to process my own emotions. Anyone who has ever struggled with watching a loved one make bad choices, or who has suffered alongside a family member dealing with terminal illness, will be touched by this account. Thompson reveals in sharp relief the ways in which her sister’s illness and self-destructive tendencies hurt those closest to her. She also documents the rebuilding of loving relationships, the final stages of her sister’s illness and painful glimpses of grief. Despite the unfiltered rawness of deep feelings, this is not a depressing read. Rather, it is both testament and tribute to a much-loved sibling. Beautifully written, Thompson’s vulnerability and kindness have much to offer readers. Highly recommended.
October 28, 2023
‘It is such a special sort of pain to love someone you don’t like very much.’
‘Could someone be a reformed jerk but still earn themselves punishment for whatever had come before. That was the thing about illness and suffering. Kindness didn’t earn you a guarantee.’
‘Could someone be a reformed jerk but still earn themselves punishment for whatever had come before. That was the thing about illness and suffering. Kindness didn’t earn you a guarantee.’
May 21, 2025
very sad - not the type of book i really was looking forward to reading everyday as it was making me upset. idk how i found it but i had it on a hold at the library for months and it became available so i read it. back to thrillers for me....
May 21, 2023
Very touching. Made me think of all the good and bad times I had with my Sister, and how grateful I am I was able to be there for her during he illness and death. I still miss her so much 🥲
May 24, 2023
This book made me feel so many emotions. It was beautiful and frustrating and funny and heartbreaking. Highly recommend!
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