Review by Judith Lloy -- Honest Endings by Katherine Cullen

[Judith Lloy]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Honest Endings" by Katherine Cullen.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Retired from a long career as a psychotherapist, Katherine Cullen unexpectedly needs to go back to work. Her background and qualifications as a licensed social worker prepared her far less than she anticipated for a new job as a hospice care counselor. Cullen recalls the struggles and rewards of several years working in the high-stress world of hospice caregiving in her memoir, Honest Endings: A Social Worker’s Life in the World of Hospice.

A quick read at only five chapters and a prologue, this memoir provides a glimpse into a part of life most people prefer not to think about, dying. Cullen herself, discusses how blindsided she was by the overwhelming toll working so closely with death on a daily basis would have on her. With virtually no training, she was thrown into the deep end. Immediately assigned clients and their families to care for, she found no network to call upon to discuss client issues, or how to emotionally manage her own feelings. She confesses to coming home each day for eight months and bawling, pouring out her heart to her husband, the only source of emotional support available to her. Her account provides a much-needed and raw look into a service that is essential for patients and families but comes at a high emotional cost to the social workers and nurses who assist in this delicate rite of passage.

I appreciated the author’s candid approach and willingness to reveal both her own naiveté going into this occupation, as well as how deeply she was affected in both positive and negative ways. For anyone who wishes to enter this field of work, this memoir could prove invaluable in preparing for the unique challenges they will face. I was moved by many of the relationships described and stories shared. It certainly made me reflect on my own views about end-of-life decisions, as well as deepened my respect and admiration for those who choose this as a career.

I would love to see this book be even more fully developed. I feel like there are many areas that the author could have explored even deeper, especially regarding how she would like to see the industry better support its workers. What kind of changes would she implement? Are there hospices that have a successful network to make sure workers don’t hit burnout, programs that pair up experienced coworkers to help troubleshoot issues that crop up for newer counselors, or agencies that offer therapy support for employees? I was left with the feeling that the author had much more to share that could benefit current and future caregivers, as well as motivate companies and hospice programs to step up their support game. There were several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings that could easily be cleared up with another round of professional editing. I think the book is good, but with a bit of reworking, fleshing out, and expanding the subject matter to include the industry at large, this author could make her voice one that is unforgettable and take the discussion to a much larger platform.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Without the proofreading errors, it would have merited 4 stars. This is a book I would recommend to everyone because to quote Rosalyn Carter: “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” Both professional and family caregivers can especially find comfort in the words of someone who has been in their shoes.

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Honest Endings
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[Dzejn_Crvena]

Caregiving is a tough job for many, so I salute caregivers who are capable of doing it with much enthusiasm.
Thank you for your review.