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Unforgettable: A Mother and Son's Final Days---and the Lessons that Last a Lifetime
"I'm getting a life's lesson about grace from my mother in the ICU.
We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?"
UNFORGETTABLE is a son's spirited, affecting, and inspiring tribute to his remarkable mother and the love between parent and child.
When NPR's Scott Simon began tweeting from his mother's hospital room in July 2013, he didn't know that his missives would soon spread well beyond his 1.2 million Twitter followers. Squeezing the magnitude of his final days with her into 140-character updates, Simon's evocative and moving meditations spread virally. Over the course of a few days, Simon chronicled his mother's death and reminisced about her life, revealing her humor and strength, and celebrating familial love.
UNFORGETTABLE, expands on those famous tweets to create a memoir that is rich, deeply affecting, heart-wrenching, and exhilarating. His mother was a glamorous woman of the Mad Men-era; she worked in nightclubs, modeled, dated mobsters and movie stars, and was a brave single parent to young Scott Simon. Spending their last days together in a hospital ICU, mother and son reflect on their lifetime's worth of memories, recounting stories laced with humor and exemplifying resilience.
UNFORGETTABLE is not only one man's rich and moving tribute to his mother's colorful life and graceful death, it is also a powerful portrayal of the universal bond between mother and child.
We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?"
UNFORGETTABLE is a son's spirited, affecting, and inspiring tribute to his remarkable mother and the love between parent and child.
When NPR's Scott Simon began tweeting from his mother's hospital room in July 2013, he didn't know that his missives would soon spread well beyond his 1.2 million Twitter followers. Squeezing the magnitude of his final days with her into 140-character updates, Simon's evocative and moving meditations spread virally. Over the course of a few days, Simon chronicled his mother's death and reminisced about her life, revealing her humor and strength, and celebrating familial love.
UNFORGETTABLE, expands on those famous tweets to create a memoir that is rich, deeply affecting, heart-wrenching, and exhilarating. His mother was a glamorous woman of the Mad Men-era; she worked in nightclubs, modeled, dated mobsters and movie stars, and was a brave single parent to young Scott Simon. Spending their last days together in a hospital ICU, mother and son reflect on their lifetime's worth of memories, recounting stories laced with humor and exemplifying resilience.
UNFORGETTABLE is not only one man's rich and moving tribute to his mother's colorful life and graceful death, it is also a powerful portrayal of the universal bond between mother and child.
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First published March 31, 2015
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About the author
Scott Simon
50 books111 followersSCOTT SIMON is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters, having reported from all over the world and from many wars. He is now the award-winning host of Weekend Edition Saturday. With over 4 million listeners it is the most-listened to news program on NPR. Simon has won a Peabody and an Emmy for his reporting and also has over 1.2 million followers on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 395 reviews
April 25, 2015
It would be my greatest wish granted for my own son to one day love me this much.
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March 29, 2015File this one under "Books Not to Finish in the Break room at Work."
But seriously, just lovely and human and lovely.
But seriously, just lovely and human and lovely.
September 29, 2024
What a privilege it was to share Scott Simon's last days with his mother. This is an unforgettable tribute to Patricia, his mother: to her spunk, courage, humor and sheer loveliness. I feel like I knew her. Of all things, Scott organized this book around his Tweets from his mother's hospital room, and coming from him, that works. There is considerable substance following each Tweetful inspiration....
Having lost my mother less than two years ago, I was in awe of how the stars aligned for this particular mother and son in the sense that they made their last days together deeply wonderful and loving. They shared many memories and lots of laughs. Scott slept on the floor next to his mother in the hospital. Oh, what times they had. There was plenty of closure. I did not have that with my mother since stroke-related dementia pretty much took her away long before her actual death. I am humbled by the depth of this book, by its sweetness and wisdom. I almost want to declare that absolutely everyone should read Unforgettable! Thank you, Scott Simon, and I am sure that when I hear the familiar sound of your voice again on NPR, you'll feel even more like an old friend.
Having lost my mother less than two years ago, I was in awe of how the stars aligned for this particular mother and son in the sense that they made their last days together deeply wonderful and loving. They shared many memories and lots of laughs. Scott slept on the floor next to his mother in the hospital. Oh, what times they had. There was plenty of closure. I did not have that with my mother since stroke-related dementia pretty much took her away long before her actual death. I am humbled by the depth of this book, by its sweetness and wisdom. I almost want to declare that absolutely everyone should read Unforgettable! Thank you, Scott Simon, and I am sure that when I hear the familiar sound of your voice again on NPR, you'll feel even more like an old friend.
May 5, 2016
This book brought tears in my eyes.
January 11, 2015
An uplifting, funny and life-affirming book about dying and, to my way of thinking, the natural accompaniment to Atul Gawande's BEING MORTAL. Both of them are talking about how to best serve the patient in those last months, weeks, days of life and both are simply terrific. Simon's love for his mother shines through but his journalistic eye keeps it from cloying. If his book about adopting his daughters was a love letter to how two wonderful girls entered his life, this book is a loving farewell to a wonderful woman leaving his life.
June 21, 2016
I leave every funeral resolved to be a better person. Witnessing the love and longing for the departed, hearing the stories that defined their lives, life's murky dilemmas clear up. Prioritizing become easy. What matters most are family, friends, kindness, and character. After reading Unforgettable, Scott Simon's entertaining and inspirational eulogy for his mother, I felt exactly the same.
From the beginning of the book, we know Scott Simon's mother is going to die. This sweet and moving story chronicles not only her last days spent with her son at her side, but also the life they shared as she raised him -- through marriages, divorces, legal scandals, laughter, tears, teenage rebellion, and her last days. I recommend the book on tape so that you can hear Simon's familiar voice (from NPR) recounting his memories and his adoration for his mother as well as singing and telling jokes with that certain timing that makes all the difference.
This book is a testament to the power of gratitude. Neither Simon nor his mother, Pat, had easy lives. They endured tragedy and heartbreak, disappointment and unmet needs both financial and emotional. This could easily have been a "poor me" book. Pat wasn't exactly the perfect mother. She did a few things wrong. But she also did a whole lot right. She taught her son that life is lovely. Look for the good in others. Find the laughter. Love art and music. Don't dwell on people's faults, encourage what is best in them. Always know a good dirty joke or two. Most of all, never skimp on a thank you. In the end, I didn't want to let her go any more than her son did.
From the beginning of the book, we know Scott Simon's mother is going to die. This sweet and moving story chronicles not only her last days spent with her son at her side, but also the life they shared as she raised him -- through marriages, divorces, legal scandals, laughter, tears, teenage rebellion, and her last days. I recommend the book on tape so that you can hear Simon's familiar voice (from NPR) recounting his memories and his adoration for his mother as well as singing and telling jokes with that certain timing that makes all the difference.
This book is a testament to the power of gratitude. Neither Simon nor his mother, Pat, had easy lives. They endured tragedy and heartbreak, disappointment and unmet needs both financial and emotional. This could easily have been a "poor me" book. Pat wasn't exactly the perfect mother. She did a few things wrong. But she also did a whole lot right. She taught her son that life is lovely. Look for the good in others. Find the laughter. Love art and music. Don't dwell on people's faults, encourage what is best in them. Always know a good dirty joke or two. Most of all, never skimp on a thank you. In the end, I didn't want to let her go any more than her son did.
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March 23, 2015Well, I'm all frothy about this one. It's a quick read but I had to stop and put it aside--forever. And the reasons aren't all that clear cut. But the major one was that it was depressing the hell of me.
But let me back up a bit and sort of describe why I chose the word frothy and not some singular term that might more easily describe my emotional conflict with UNFORGETTABLE.
The book starts out great and I was interested. I didn't follow or even know about Scott's tweets, but I know of Scott Simon of course. He's a dear man and I'd recognize his voice anywhere.
So initially I was reading along, but then I began to loose my focus. Parts of the narrative just weren't that interesting to me. But at the same time I was emotionally caught up in a son's homage and literary act of love for his mother. So a bit bored and yet overwhelmed. I'm not sure how the two can co-exist but I was definitely overwhelmed. Depressed and sad and inspired and sad is just not a place I can be right now. I have older parents. I just can't follow the author right now to the place he's leading his readers.
.
.
Well written, I came to cherish the nursing professionals yet again. And not so much doctors. This is a wonderful love story.
But let me back up a bit and sort of describe why I chose the word frothy and not some singular term that might more easily describe my emotional conflict with UNFORGETTABLE.
The book starts out great and I was interested. I didn't follow or even know about Scott's tweets, but I know of Scott Simon of course. He's a dear man and I'd recognize his voice anywhere.
So initially I was reading along, but then I began to loose my focus. Parts of the narrative just weren't that interesting to me. But at the same time I was emotionally caught up in a son's homage and literary act of love for his mother. So a bit bored and yet overwhelmed. I'm not sure how the two can co-exist but I was definitely overwhelmed. Depressed and sad and inspired and sad is just not a place I can be right now. I have older parents. I just can't follow the author right now to the place he's leading his readers.
.
.
Well written, I came to cherish the nursing professionals yet again. And not so much doctors. This is a wonderful love story.
April 25, 2017
LOVED this book - as I have, all of Scott Simon's books so far. Don't be put off by the subject - the death of his mother. It is about WAAAY more than that. It's about memory. It's about the bonds of love. It is about forgiveness. It's about laughing as healing and survival. And, of course, it is about a mother and a son. There are moments of crying and there are moments of hilarity - and, often, they come together. If you have a close relationship with your mother - or, if you didn't - read this book for comedy, for understanding, for love - and just for the joy of reading wonderful writing of the most human and humane sort.
April 10, 2015
At his mother's side during her final decline, Scott Simon and she remember their life together, shared family history, and unique connection. I wish there was a way I could write her a thank you note for the observations and wisdoms I learned. Yes, she led a full rich life, her passing was the normal passage of things, but her loss is immeasurable.
April 7, 2015
Scott Simon's Unforgettable is a heartfelt, nostalgic, funny and uplifting celebration of his mother's life. Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, spent his mother's final days with her in an intensive care unit in Chicago, looking back at the life she created for him as a solo parent and working mother.
Patricia Lyons was a glamorous Irish Catholic who married Ernie Simon, an alcoholic Jewish comedian. The suicide of Lyons's mother taught her self-preservation early. When her husband began drinking himself out of jobs and toward an early grave, she left him, determined not to let herself or her son be caught in that spiral.
Working in nightclubs, dress shops and doing some modeling, Lyons created a secure world not only for her son but also for her alternative family of "aunties and uncles"--her circle of tough and funny women pals and gay male friends.
While intermittently detailing the everyday indignities of dying in a hospital, Simon and his mother hopscotch through pivotal and delightfully trivial moments in their life together, remembering numerous gentlemen callers, birthday parties, marriages, jokes and life lessons. Far from depressing, Simon (Pretty Birds) uses precise prose and nimble portraiture to create an inspiring and unforgettable memoir that reassures readers that even the most ordinary life is extraordinary when examined.
NPR host Scott Simon's life-affirming memoir captures the humor, charm, wit and affection of a woman living her final days in the company of her loving son.
Patricia Lyons was a glamorous Irish Catholic who married Ernie Simon, an alcoholic Jewish comedian. The suicide of Lyons's mother taught her self-preservation early. When her husband began drinking himself out of jobs and toward an early grave, she left him, determined not to let herself or her son be caught in that spiral.
Working in nightclubs, dress shops and doing some modeling, Lyons created a secure world not only for her son but also for her alternative family of "aunties and uncles"--her circle of tough and funny women pals and gay male friends.
While intermittently detailing the everyday indignities of dying in a hospital, Simon and his mother hopscotch through pivotal and delightfully trivial moments in their life together, remembering numerous gentlemen callers, birthday parties, marriages, jokes and life lessons. Far from depressing, Simon (Pretty Birds) uses precise prose and nimble portraiture to create an inspiring and unforgettable memoir that reassures readers that even the most ordinary life is extraordinary when examined.
NPR host Scott Simon's life-affirming memoir captures the humor, charm, wit and affection of a woman living her final days in the company of her loving son.
February 6, 2016
For anyone who has lost someone close to them or even just experienced a traumatic health scare (and accompanying hospital visit), this book will ring true. More than that, it will touch your deepest emotions. The genesis of the book actually began with NPR radio personality Scott Simon, who began tweeting his experiences as his mother lay in intensive care in a Chicago hospital.
Scott chronicles the indignaties of hospital care and, conversely, the generosity of those who work with the critically ill in a hospital setting; both are true. He addresses the invisibility of the aging and the loss of personhood, as the elderly are percieved by the rest of us.
More than any of these probing topics, however, this book is a loving tribute to Simon's mother, who in his own words was never a "shrinking violet." Instead, as she lay dying, Simon and his mother revisit a lifetime of adventures and the characters who populated the lives of mother and son. The stories are good ones, they draw you along deeper and deeper into a real understanding of just what sort of woman Simon's mother Patricia was: kind, thoughtful, vivacious, personable, and so many other things worth noting.
Patricia was a person worth knowing, a person beloved by those who knew her (not only her son). This book, while an examination of one individual's life, is also a reminder to readers of those who have influenced our own lives, both the living and the dead. Make the most of life and reach out to those who mean something to you. Time is brief, as Simon will testify.
Scott chronicles the indignaties of hospital care and, conversely, the generosity of those who work with the critically ill in a hospital setting; both are true. He addresses the invisibility of the aging and the loss of personhood, as the elderly are percieved by the rest of us.
More than any of these probing topics, however, this book is a loving tribute to Simon's mother, who in his own words was never a "shrinking violet." Instead, as she lay dying, Simon and his mother revisit a lifetime of adventures and the characters who populated the lives of mother and son. The stories are good ones, they draw you along deeper and deeper into a real understanding of just what sort of woman Simon's mother Patricia was: kind, thoughtful, vivacious, personable, and so many other things worth noting.
Patricia was a person worth knowing, a person beloved by those who knew her (not only her son). This book, while an examination of one individual's life, is also a reminder to readers of those who have influenced our own lives, both the living and the dead. Make the most of life and reach out to those who mean something to you. Time is brief, as Simon will testify.
August 5, 2015
I read an excerpt of this book in a magazine some time ago so when I saw the book I snatched it up. First of all, let me say that the relationship and love between Scott Simon and his mother was amazing. She obviously did all the right things in raising him as essentially a single mother. Her death was tragic and made me once again think about the fact that we tend to be kinder to our animals than we do to our sick and dying. I felt some outrage at the experiences he had to deal with during his mother’s last stay in the hospital. Yes, there were many wonderful, caring providers but then there we others who obviously dropped the ball.
March 1, 2016
"We don't become the people we are all at once. But if we are lucky, every love, laugh, and loss puts a wrinkle in our hearts to make us distinctive. All the wrinkles, reverses, and trials will teach us a little and give our lives purpose and meaning."
My recent readings have been full of melancholy moments. This book is no exception. Describing a son's support of his mother's last days and reflecting on a lifetime together, I can only hope that I will be as important a person in someone else's life as Patricia Lyons Simon Newman Gelbin meant to author Scott Simon.
My recent readings have been full of melancholy moments. This book is no exception. Describing a son's support of his mother's last days and reflecting on a lifetime together, I can only hope that I will be as important a person in someone else's life as Patricia Lyons Simon Newman Gelbin meant to author Scott Simon.
May 25, 2015
A lovely tribute to a beloved mother. Scott Simon wrote about his mother's last days and how they supported and reminisced about their special relationship. A quote from his book has touched my soul. "A mother's death also makes us realize: we're next. It resets the clock we keep on our own lives. It reminds us not to let our best loves, dreams, vows, and promises dry up and die."
April 11, 2015
I can't articulate how much this short, non-fiction book about NPR Morning Edition Saturday's Scott Simon and his devoted mother moved me. I'll probably never stop thinking about it.
And, now I can't wait to read Scott's other books.
And, now I can't wait to read Scott's other books.
June 14, 2015
Scott Simon has written a touching and heartfelt remembrance of his mother. Beautifully written, funny, sad and so worth reading. Highly recommended.
December 28, 2022
A wise biography of his even wiser mother, Simon has turned in a remarkable if difficult story. He gives her a full description, and I challenge you to read this and feel indifferent to his mom. Either you’ll think that you dearly wish you’d known her and her somewhat precocious son, or you’ll think she was an irresponsible mother, flouting convention and traditional childrearing. I lean strongly toward thinking she’d have been a total hoot, and he was right in memorializing her. This book, however, can be disturbing to folks who’ve lost a loved one in a similar manner, as Simon does not spare us the medical and physical details of his mom’s illness. But the brilliant character sketches he writes of her should be enough to make you glad you read this.
December 16, 2017
I stumbled across Scott Simon's twitter feed during his mother's final time in the hospital. I had probably listed to him on NPR but it didn't register at the time. His tweets during his mother's last days were heartbreaking and heartwarming - the love between the two so obvious.
This book is based off of those tweets and Simon has done a wonderful job conveying what a warm and wise woman his mother was.
I hope that my children think of me one day with a fraction of the love and joy that Scott Simon does his mom.
This book is based off of those tweets and Simon has done a wonderful job conveying what a warm and wise woman his mother was.
I hope that my children think of me one day with a fraction of the love and joy that Scott Simon does his mom.
August 13, 2020
“It is necessary to lose our mothers to finally grow up. There is no need to hurry this along; it happens too soon in any case. But there is some wisdom that we can’t learn until our mothers have let go. There are lessons that only loss, grief, and responsibility can give us.”
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April 14, 2025I don't always know or like to rate memoirs like this as they are so deeply personal. Scott Simon's writing of his mother is one of the most heartfelt yet honest pieces of work I've read in a long while. It was a beautiful experience to get to know her through his memories.
March 27, 2024
Scott Simon’s tribute to his Mom and their relationship is full of love, wisdom, and life lessons. Clearly they shared a special bond. As he sat beside her in the ICU, they comforted one another in her final days. This is a memoir full of heartfelt emotion, gratitude, and love.
June 9, 2022
This is a heartwarming book that captures a son’s love for his remarkable mom. I’ve been a fan of Scott Simon for years and now I know where his grace and kindness originate. Just a beautiful story.
August 11, 2015
If only every child could have a mother that loved them with the wild abandon and practicality that Patricia Lyons Simon Newman loved her son, Scott Simon.
This book is a love story between a son and a mother who lived a wide, wild, kamikaze life that she made as safe and gentle for her son as she had the power to. This story is his thank you to the woman who gave him life. Once when she birthed him, twice when she left the drunk father who was going to destroy them, and countless times with humor, and friends, and love.
"...wars and final illnesses both have moments of panic spaced between hours of tedium. There can be a lot of waiting and staring off into space."
Scott Simon Tweeted from his mother's hospital room during her last days. Some people were profoundly touched and deeply moved by his love, his wit, and his adoration of a woman who obviously raised him to be classy and kind. Other people were moved to criticize his crassness.
After reading this book- I can only hope I show the kindness, the class, the wit, and fortitude when my parents pass that Scott showed to his dear mom.
The sentence that broke me open was when Scott was watching his mom struggle to breath. He leaned in close and looked into her eyes and said,
"I'm here. Look at me. Give me everything. Every fear, every pain. Leave them with me. I'm your son."
To be able to love his mom and be her strength while she died was one of the most poignant pieces of this powerful story.
loc 27 "...but she had to leave him before he could bring us all down in drink"
loc 61 "My father had cracked her heart; she couldn't trust how it worked."
loc 64 Patricia on being married three times, "My mother made a vinegary face." I never set out to be a collector" she told her.
loc 100 "A classy guy had manners. He said please and thank you, Mr. and Miss, and held open doors. Classy guys picked up checks. they left good tips. They dressed with respect. They kept their word. They sent flowers. They apologized personally. They tried to be kind and courteous, even if they sometimes had to be firm, and their best jokes were about themselves."
loc 124 "My mother can't help me now." she said quietly. "but if you ever need me- I'll break down a wall to get to you."
loc 213 "Children connect you to eternity," she wrote us. "They're like notes to be opened after we die."
April 18, 2015
A sad read about a son's last few days with his mother. NPR host and author Scott Simon took to Twitter to tweet his mother's last days in the hospital. What was condensed to about 140 or so characters online evolved into this book about his mother, his relationship with her, her relationship with others, and basically a celebration about his mom.
I somewhat followed the tweets until the very end, where I read the last few. Some said that it was maudlin and attention-seeking. Others enjoyed Simon sharing his experiences. The book helps flesh out what he shared: from the inconsiderate and inattentive doctors to the kind and helpful nurses (the latter group has their first names shared in the book, the doctors do not), the barista who turned down his money to the kind clerk at the local sporting goods store who gave him a discount (for supposedly laughing at the clerk's jokes, but Simon explained he needed a sleeping bag to sleep on the hospital floor).
This is interspersed with Simon's and his mother's recollections of his father, the other men in her life, her friends, his own wife and daughters, etc. While each chapter is somewhat thematically grouped together by the tweets, they sometimes go off in different directions if he happens to come across someone who makes an appearance when they visit.
And while I enjoyed parts of the book, I'm not going to lie I got bored at some of the many men Simon's mom saw, some of the other people in her lives. Some of it really just wasn't compelling reading. Probably good for those who are into memoirs, like Scott Simon or am intrigued how he turned his tweet flood into a book. But I'd recommend borrowing it from the library or elsewhere.
I somewhat followed the tweets until the very end, where I read the last few. Some said that it was maudlin and attention-seeking. Others enjoyed Simon sharing his experiences. The book helps flesh out what he shared: from the inconsiderate and inattentive doctors to the kind and helpful nurses (the latter group has their first names shared in the book, the doctors do not), the barista who turned down his money to the kind clerk at the local sporting goods store who gave him a discount (for supposedly laughing at the clerk's jokes, but Simon explained he needed a sleeping bag to sleep on the hospital floor).
This is interspersed with Simon's and his mother's recollections of his father, the other men in her life, her friends, his own wife and daughters, etc. While each chapter is somewhat thematically grouped together by the tweets, they sometimes go off in different directions if he happens to come across someone who makes an appearance when they visit.
And while I enjoyed parts of the book, I'm not going to lie I got bored at some of the many men Simon's mom saw, some of the other people in her lives. Some of it really just wasn't compelling reading. Probably good for those who are into memoirs, like Scott Simon or am intrigued how he turned his tweet flood into a book. But I'd recommend borrowing it from the library or elsewhere.
June 22, 2015
Poignant. Well written. Scott's mother is quite a character so this book of the stories of her and his life were enjoyable. Some words of wisdom to take away. I've saved this excerpt that comes towards the end of the book:
"A mother’s death also makes us realize: we’re next. It resets the clock we keep on our own lives. It reminds us not to let our best loves, dreams, vows, and promises dry up and die.
It is necessary to lose our mothers to finally grow up. There is no need to hurry this along; it happens too soon in any case. But there is some wisdom that we can’t learn until our mothers have let go. There are lessons that only loss, grief, and responsibility can give us. Our mothers know this too, and the thought even gives them comfort. They will take a seat and watch us, as they once watched our first steps or school plays, until that day (which also comes too soon) that we let go of the hands of our children and join our mothers. They put everything they are into us, then stand us on our own."
"A mother’s death also makes us realize: we’re next. It resets the clock we keep on our own lives. It reminds us not to let our best loves, dreams, vows, and promises dry up and die.
It is necessary to lose our mothers to finally grow up. There is no need to hurry this along; it happens too soon in any case. But there is some wisdom that we can’t learn until our mothers have let go. There are lessons that only loss, grief, and responsibility can give us. Our mothers know this too, and the thought even gives them comfort. They will take a seat and watch us, as they once watched our first steps or school plays, until that day (which also comes too soon) that we let go of the hands of our children and join our mothers. They put everything they are into us, then stand us on our own."
April 17, 2015
Suicide and infidelity puts a fly in your head, she said. "It's always buzzing around. You never really get rid of it."
Scott Simon, a familiar name on NPR's Week-end Edition, wrote about the last few days and nights he spent with his Mother in the ICU. You learn about these two people and what was important to them and how they saw the world, dealt with it, and remembered it. Quite touching with sweet reminiscences. Scott Simon choose to relate this observances during the time with tweets he posted at the time. Here's the last one of the book: "Write thank-you notes. Tip well. Sing. Drink responsibly. Remember that good manners cost nothing, and open doors. Reach out to someone who is lonely. Make them laugh. Help people smile." (a few more than 140 characters. . .)
Scott Simon, a familiar name on NPR's Week-end Edition, wrote about the last few days and nights he spent with his Mother in the ICU. You learn about these two people and what was important to them and how they saw the world, dealt with it, and remembered it. Quite touching with sweet reminiscences. Scott Simon choose to relate this observances during the time with tweets he posted at the time. Here's the last one of the book: "Write thank-you notes. Tip well. Sing. Drink responsibly. Remember that good manners cost nothing, and open doors. Reach out to someone who is lonely. Make them laugh. Help people smile." (a few more than 140 characters. . .)
March 28, 2021
Obviously Scott Simon is a brilliant writer who could make a book about a box of soda crackers sound good, but I think this tribute to his mother, Patricia Lyons Simon Newman, might have been one of the most calming memoirs I've ever read. Although Pat's life story is juxtaposed with scenes as Simon sits with his mother over the last days of her life witnessing the difficult labour of dying, the narrative was comforting to me because this is a book about a loving woman who had a good life written by the son who loved her back. Pat was a wonderful woman, deeply compassionate with a strong sense of integrity. I wanted to know her; hell, I wanted to be her!
This book felt like a generous gift, and I received it as such.
This book felt like a generous gift, and I received it as such.
October 24, 2015
I was leary of reading a book about a conversation between a son and his mother on her deathbed, but the author's writing was beautiful, and cleverly interspersed with flashbacks of their life together in a way that allowed the reader to really get to know them. While it was obviously sad, it was actually more inspiring due to the love of the son and the courage of the mother. I also had not expected to find so much humor in a book about facing death. I am glad I discovered this book on the shelf in the library
May 11, 2015
During the last few days of his mother's life, Simon tweets his thoughts and reflections while sitting at her bedside in the hospital. This book fleshes out those 140 character tidbits into a grander story of their relationship and their conversations as they face her death. His mother comes across as one classy, fun lady, and he is portrayed as a loving, dedicated son. This is a beautiful tribute to their relationship.
February 24, 2016
(Audible; Scott Simon, narrator) Anecdotal, quiet, admiring, loving memoir of the author's mother. The author grew up in Chicago in the fifties and recalls with joy many of the things he did with his mother in that great city. He describes some of the Impressionist paintings in the Art Institute that he saw with her. Perhaps he and I crossed paths during my own visits to the Art Institute with my mother and grandmother in the fifties.
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