Thanks to Ave Maria Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital readers copy of On My Way Home: A Hospice Nurse's Journey with Terminal Cancer by Joyce Hutchison.

Having lost family members and several close friends to cancer, I wanted to read this book by Joyce Hutchison. She was an oncology nurse, palliative care expert, hospice director and she was the coauthor, with Joyce Rupp, of two best selling books, "May I Walk You Home?" and "Now That You've Gone Home".

This short insightful heartbreaking book is about Joyce Hutchison's experience with terminal four-stage lung cancer. She was shocked and surprised when she received the cancer diagnosis. There were physical, emotional and mental challenges during her journey from diagnosis of cancer to death. She wrote about the love and support of her children, grandchildren, and her friends. The author's strong faith and sense of humour helped her live and die with dignity.

I think that those who enjoyed reading the inspirational and award winning book, The Cancer Olympics by Robin McGee will like ON MY WAY HOME: A HOSPICE NURSE'S JOURNEY WITH TERMINAL CANCER by Joyce Hutchison. This book could be helpful for those who are in "the most difficult stage of life" and also their family members and friends.
4 ****

Three and a half star rating.
A short account of the author's battle with cancer and ultimate death, plus a little about her life - the irony being that she used to take care of people in this exact same position. A sad book of course given the subject matter, but also uplifting as she faced her treatment and final days with courage and dignity. This lady thought a lot about other people, especially her family who did all they could for her, and not much about herself. This was a very moving book and came away feeling Joyce would have been a wonderful friend.

I read this short book in one sitting. I found it very sad at times. Joyce seemed a lovely caring lady and even when she could fight this terrible disease no longer she never questioned "Why me?". Her faith was very strong and it played a big part in her acceptance of her fate.

This sweet book is written by a woman dealing with terminal cancer. It takes you through a journey from diagnosis to death. It is a gentle book, much like a cyber hug from the author to the reader. It never falls into maudlin sadness, rather it is a positive piece on getting ready to die.

Simply written, it never belabours Hutchison's Christian faith, but it is expressed clearly in this book. This would be ideal for people in Hutchison's situation, for both the patient and the associated family. There are plenty of passages that I found myself relating to as I relived my personal journey with cancer.

Joyce is your typical woman; a wife and mother of three, grandmother of nine. What follows in this book is a brief journey in the battle to live. She talks about not being ready to leave her family, the toll the cancer took on her marriage and the way her family rallied around her.

There is a particularly touching part of this book that likens death to birth. That a baby may be frightened when the labour pains begins, but it leads to a great new adventure. Similarly death can be seen as frightening or it can lead to a whole new adventure.

Nice read and easy to follow story. Look forward to reading more from this author