Conversations at Midnight: Coming to Terms With Dying and Death

by Herbert Kramer

In an intimate look into how one man is dealing with his own death, Herbert Kramer shares a series of dialogues between he and his wife, a grief therapist, as he battles terminal cancer

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written from the unusual perspective of a husband and wife team after the husband, Herbert, is diagnosed with prostate cancer with a grim outlook. As Herbert struggles with the news, he progresses through the various stages to arrive at a place of acceptance. Throughout all this, he consults frequently with his wife, Kay, who is a type of grief/hospice counselor.

Kay is staunchly against cremation (at least without having a traditional funeral beforehand, which I disagree with) and she is also very against euthanasia, claiming it interferes with the important process of accepting death and is an easy way out. I'm not entirely sure I agree with her on this point either, but still have totally formed my own opinion.

Herb eventually accepts his death and dies a graceful, peaceful death surrounded by his family after the book is completed. The topic is admittedly morbid, but was an interesting, albeit uncomfortable, look inside a couple's intimate struggle with the inevitable.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having gone through a similar process with my wife as she was dying of cancer, this book rings true on many levels. I don't share the viewpoints of either party (and neither did my late wife), but the basic experiences, thoughts, and feelings are seem extremely familiar. I think this is a book that deserves to be more widely known, as it could bring comfort to a lot of people facing/grieving a similar situation.