Book Description
In December 1993, 34-year-old John Dally flies from New York to London to be admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. Some members of his large extended family are not even aware that he is in the country; others know only too well that this illness signals the beginning of a gruelling journey towards his death from AIDS at some point in the future. For John's siblings, it will be the death of another brother; for his parents, the death of another son in his mid-thirties. In this moving description of John's last months, his sister Emma describes the effect that AIDS has on his friends and family and his doctor parents. Reading like a novel, it describes everyone's efforts to look after him, to encourage him to make the best use of his last days. It depicts the rapid deterioration of John's health, his dramatic, failed suicide attempt, and the final weeks, when he is cared for in his own home. It captures the intense camaraderie, as well as the frustrations, tensions and arguments about health care that develop between the loved ones at the bedside.
From the Publisher
In December 1993, John Dally flew from New York to London to be admitted to the hospital suffering from pneumonia. It is an illness that signals the beginning of a grueling journey to his death from AIDS. For John¹s siblings, it will be the death of another brother; for his physician parents, the death of another son in his mid-forties. In this moving account of John¹s last month, his sister Emma describes the impact that AIDS has on her, his friends, and his family. Endearingly honest, it is a tribute to loving sisterhood as much as to a young man struck down in his prime.
About the Author
Emma Dally was Literary Editor and Assistant Editor of COSMOPOLITAN, and Deputy Editor of SHE. Since 1995 she has been Editorial Director of Book Publishing at the National Magazine Company.
