About the Book
Read what others are saying about the book: "Amy Julia Becker's 'Penelope Ayers' is one part memoir, one part character study, and one part spiritual autobiography. Everyone in this keenly observed, emotionally charged story comes to a deeper love for one another and a deeper appreciation of the role of the divine in human life. " "Penelope Ayers: A Memoir captures the essence of the intense relationships that a patient develops with her doctor, her health care team, her family, her close and distant friends and most importantly, herself when she is diagnosed with a life threatening illness... This book truly captures all the emotions carried through the final days of a loved one's journey through the serious obstacles that disease creates and how the medical profession and the patient's circle of family and friends can make this journey a peaceful and fullfiling one. " "Any life, seen up close, is much messier than it appears at a distance—messier and richer and stranger, too. Biographies and memoirs often fail to convey this, settling instead for whatever fits the script at hand. By contrast, Amy Julia Becker’s portrait of Penelope Ayers gives us a life in all its magnificent idiosyncrasy, its enigmas and contradictions, its ultimate hope." John Wilson, editor, Books & Culture |
Penelope Ayers is a memoir about a beautiful, gracious, lonely New Orleanian who discovers one February morning that she has cancer. When she reaches out for help, three generations of her fractured, colorful family respond, and in so doing, they all experience grace and healing. 
This story offers comfort and inspiration to anyone facing a life-threatening illness, and it will also appeal to individuals wrestling with questions for God, and about God, in the midst of difficult situations. Ultimately, it is a family story about the strong and tenuous nature of hope.
