Honorable Recognition by THE INTERNATIONAL FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD 2025
Description
"...this book is uncompromising, authentic, deep and true." - Michael DeMaria, Bestselling author of Peace Within and four-time Grammy nominee
An end-of-life story of awe, Rosemary, Now and Then ventures back and forth through death's door with stark truths, vibrant compassion, and afterlife intrigue. Strokes untether Rosemary from known reality, yet dementia uplifts her spirit, compelling her paramedic daughter to reconsider definitions of mental disorder in particular and the nature of death in general. A clever nurse translates dementia findings into a poetic image for family: "Rosemary's brain is like lace."
Fine threads of brilliance weave intricate Irish-veil thoughts through her filigree mind. Her three-year-old self emerges, radiant and quizzical. Grappling with the nature of existence, Rosemary laughs her way to the grave. Devoted daughter Christina devises caregiving innovations and connects dots of amazing coincidences. Paradoxes of mortality balance gravity with hilarity, pain with joy, absurdity with wisdom, practicality with mysticism.
The "Now and Then" format depicts leaps in time, place, and person that challenge reality, in league with Rosemary's mind.
A journey of wit, wisdom, and sheer determination, Rosemary's story concludes with her signature cinnamon bun recipe for readers to bake and share with loved ones . . . as Rosemary would do.
Reviews
Recipient of the Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Nonfiction 2025
And Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution, wrote, "Making the most of life in the face of it all, Rosemary sets an example for every one of us. She dabbles her toes into eternity, splashes about in laughter, and then wades in, leaving vital inspiration in her wake." (https://www.thankgodforevolution.com/category/blog)
And Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution, wrote, "Making the most of life in the face of it all, Rosemary sets an example for every one of us. She dabbles her toes into eternity, splashes about in laughter, and then wades in, leaving vital inspiration in her wake." (https://www.thankgodforevolution.com/category/blog)