507 - Endings and Beginnings

Endings and Beginnings
By Sandra Hayward Albertson
New York, Ballantine/ Epiphany, 1984, 174 pp. $2.50.

This little book is a touching narrative on the dying and the mourning that followed the death of Mark Albertson, a young man in his twenties. He died in 1972 and the book was published in 1984. It is not just another book written as catharsis by a survivor who "had to write the book." Sandra Hayward Albertson has something to say to all of us about living and loving, dealing with hospitals and doctors and other systems, and, when

508 - Endings and Beginnings

it comes time, dying. She describes in detail her family, her family of origin, and her husband's family. All are, in some respects, "too good to be true," but that is because the marriage bond between Sandra and Mark was so strong and well defined. As a hospital chaplain, I found that two or three chapters into the book I was saying to myself: "Why are you reading this book?" The process of dying, the institution of "hospital," the difficulties with physicians, are all developed, but after a while I found that I was caught up in the beauty of the narrative. Many who seldom enter a hospital will appreciate it. The religious community of the Albertsons is the Society of Friends. This community was a gathering of friends and at the same time was available to the Albertsons for the funeral and more formal religious needs. The beliefs are deist and humanist, but one can see a strength in this life-style and perhaps those who come from more main-line and sacramental churches need to study the comparison. People who have suffered the death of a family member will find this a friendly and appealing book. Those who are preaching and searching for good illustrative material will find it rewarding, filled with letters, poems, and quotations. We are reminded of the importance of grief work and Sandy Albertson has "paid her dues," but she also has "done her homework" and the concluding chapters on death-and-children and interior "work" are soundly documented. If you are one of the rare people who has not been close to death in your family or among your friends, this book will walk you a few steps down the path.

Daniel C. DeArment
Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadelphia, Pa.