Heart breaking story but oh so beautiful as well. Thanks for sharing with us all. I wish I could read this again for the first time.

The book was interesting and full of teaching moments from a medical doctor whom was struck with ALS ( Lou Gehrig's disease early in his life.) He took a different road and without giving much away about the book , he has lived over ten years or so with this type of neurodegenerative disease . His mind is active enough that he has been able to keep learning and understanding his purpose for being here- how this affects his family was not really described too much but he seems to have created a world even being locked in his own body. I think most of the book was his venue to grieve losses in his life- understandably so. I did find the book a little preachy in some parts but overall inspirational .

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book prior to the release date (10/2/2019). This book was so well-written. It takes the reader in Jeff’s journey with ALS and grief.

Some of the questions raised in this book were so intriguing to me: on faith and spirituality, on quality of life, on grief, and on how privilege impacts one’s ability to challenge a terminal disease. The picture Jeff provides of ALS is so raw and eye-opening.

A few of the later chapters on grief regarding the loss of the author’s son became a little too philosophical for my interest. However, the last chapter made me cry. I will definitely recommend this to friends at the release date.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a deeply moving memoir of the effects of unimaginable tragedy on a family. We often think that when something catastrophic happens to us that we will be somehow immune from further devastation. Jeff Sutherland proves this is not the case.

This was a detailed and much needed look at AlS from the perspective of the ‘client’ and of the effects of grief on not just the immediate family but the extended family and community.

Still Life is medical doctor Jeff Sutherland's memoir of his struggles with being "locked in" to his own body after being diagnosed with ALS, as well as the further tragedy of the loss of his son in a freak kayaking accident. This book reminded me a decent amount of the Diving Bell and the Butterfly, as both are memoirs of men dealing with debilitating health issues and written only using eye movements.

The first half of this book is a fairly harrowing account of Sutherland's diagnosis and descent into immobility and need for twenty-four hour care. In particular, his "A Day in the Life" chapter that details his routine is wrenching. For Sutherland to be hit with the death of a child while surviving ALS is unimaginable, and his grief is palpable in the chapters written in the aftermath.

The second half of the book centers more on Sutherland's attempts to process his grief, find his faith, and discover his new place among his family. I found myself a bit less focused during these chapters. For me, I'm a heavy skeptic when it comes to mediums and uninterested at best in spirituality, so I was not able to follow and relate to two topics which feature heavily in the back half of the book. This is just a personal preference, and in no way do I presume to tell anyone how to process and heal from grief. Sutherland is brave to live with the disease (if a bit fortunate to deal with it in Canada, with their health care system) and his family's persistence is admirable.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Sutherland House.**

Still Life is a emotional story. This is hard to criticize, but many people living with this disease or similar horrifying diseases would not have luxury to travel their final days. Many own in different parts of the world have no money or health care. I am glad this man could enjoy his time.