This was a very emotional ride through Delia's life and illness, second chance love, loss of loved ones, & friendships that span decades. You feel every ounce of emotion during her illness, which left me with pure gratitude and the utmost respect for bone marrow donors and incredible physicians that truly fight for their patients. My heart was shattered for her and Honey, having been through similar situations with my own furbabies over the last few years. Peter is an amazing man that became a part of her story at just the right moment. It's truly something how love always finds a way to be at the time it's meant to be. Delia is an incredible writer and I'm so glad she found her spark for that again!!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of this incredible memoir.

Was happy to include this book in “Finding Solace,” my latest round-up for Zoomer magazine’s Books section highlighting spring titles of interest on grief and emotion (see mini-review at link).

This is a five-star memoir of the author's life, with particular focus on the past five years during which she lost her sister (author Nora Ephron), lost her husband, fell in love with a stranger, became seriously ill resulting in a bone marrow transplant, and how she finds her way to the other side of these various journeys. This book is full of life and heart. You will find yourself laughing, crying and rooting for the author.

She talks at times about her book Siracusa. Years ago I abandoned Siracusa based on comments in the book about women who don't have children. Now that I know (from Left on Tenth) that she, too, did not have children, I'll return to Siracusa.

I definitely recommend Left on Tenth. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a free e-book in exchange for my honest review.

“If you see my vulnerability, I force myself to think, well, I hope you respect my bravery.” We respect you dear Delia Ephron to the moon and back! The author writes with a beautiful mix of the reality of love, loss, love anew, and serious life threatening illness mixed with hope and strength. It’s the hope that kept me turning the pages. I hope to read everything else Delia Ephron has ever written and wish her many more years filled with eclipses and the night sky!

Ephron has a way of pulling the reader into her story and not letting the reader loose until the end. Never glossing over the difficult parts of her illness, nonetheless, Ephron keeps the reader engaged and rooting for her all through the book.
Despite knowing about the details of her life and illness, I read with intensity until the end of her book. Although dealing with the loss of her sister and husband, along with her illness, there is still a lighter tone when describing falling in love at age 72.
The importance of friendship is also an overarching theme that we should all take away from reading this memoir.

Right from the beginning you can empathize with Delia Ephron as she writes about enduring the illnesses and deaths of her closest family members. This book isn't maudlin but realistic. As Ms. Ephron details her journey to healing, readers will be with her every step of the way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for gifting me a copy of this moving memoir by Delia Ephron - 5 stars!

Delia & her sister, Nora, both writing legends, also shared medical problems - leukemia. Still reeling from her sister's death, Delia's husband dies from prostate cancer. Just out of the pages of one of their screenplays, after an op-ed Delia wrote in the NYT about Verizon, Delia is contacted through email by Peter, a long ago acquaintance that Delia doesn't remember. Before long, they are madly in love - at an age and time in their life where neither thought that possible. Then Delia is diagnosed with AML, a horrible leukemia.

Told partially through email passages, this is both a heartbreaking and hopeful story - of love and devotion, of second chances at love and life, of a community coming together to help and support. Having lived through my mother-in-law's trials and eventual death from AML, this was a tough read but also an important one. How blessed Delia was to be surrounded by Peter and a tribe of friends to help and support them. Lots of life lessons in this one as well - grab onto all those second chances when they appear because this is the only life we have. Continued good health and love to Peter and Delia with an appreciation to them for sharing their story.

I’m a sucker for these personal medical memoirs, written by talented women of sensitivity and courage. No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler and These Precious Days by Ann Pachett come to mind. Left on Tenth joins my list of recommendations. Delia Ephron is well known as a screen writer of popular movies like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail and as the sister and collaborator of the late Norah Ephron. I was ready to love this book before I read the first page.
Reeling from the deaths of sister Norah and her own beloved husband of 30 years, both from cancer, Delia writes with such compassion, we grieve with her. Her story takes a decidedly hopeful note when she writes an article about grief for the New York Times and receives an email in response. The message is from a widower writing from California who just happened to have gone on several dates with her when they were in high school. And, as a sign of the confluence Delia sees throughout her life, the dates were orchestrated by her sister Norah! Although she doesn’t remember the dates, Delia is open to continuing the conversation, and it isn’t long before the two recognize they have been given a second chance at love.
This sounds like the perfect plot for one of Delia’s movies with the music building as they plan their life together, but this is Real Life, not a rom com from the 90’s, and soon she gets the diagnosis she was dreading, the same leukemia that killed her sister.
By referring to emails and other writing from this period, the author was able to vividly recreate the travails of her crisis and treatment. Without a written record, most of her suffering and struggle would have been just a blur..
Her husband Peter was the single most important factor in her successful battle. He was not just a loving husband but a doctor who could help her navigate the course of her disease. Even more important, the man is a bona fide saint. Has there ever been any one kinder, stronger, more persistent and patient than Peter who just happened to be a Jungian psychiatrist trained to be a good listener? What would the course of her life had been if he hadn’t read and responded to her newspaper column? Once again, it speaks of confluence in Life.
My only complaint about this memoir — and it shows my own pettiness, not a criticism of the author — is that everyone of her friends was extraordinary, standing by her in the most loving and selfless ways, dropping everything to travel across the country or performing other thoughtful gestures. I have friends but frankly I wouldn’t expect them to give up their lives to support me.
I’m just glad they did so that Delia is here to share her story with all the people who love her.

I mean, what is there to say about Delia Ephron’s writing other than it’s almost as close to perfection as it can get? Ephron’s writing, whether it’s a screenplay, a novel, or a memoir, is just phenomenal. It’s accessible, deeply personal, moving, funny—I loved every page. Significant trigger warnings for cancer, death, and grief, but if you’re able to read this memoir, you’ll be better for it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advance reader’s copy.

In this memoir by the writer Delia Ephron, sister of Nora, we follow her journey through the death of her husband Jerry from cancer, her reflections on the death of her sister Nora, and her second chance at love with a childhood friend Peter. Most significantly, we gain insight of her experience of dealing with the diagnosis of leukemia. What I found struck me the most in this very personal account was the vast support that Delia had from her many close friends. They were her warrior team and surrounded her with love, compassion, and hope. Along with the expertise of her medical team (except for one very uncompassionate doctor), it was her friends and new husband who pulled her through and gave her the strength to survive. Personally, for me, it began as a hard read having experienced going through this with a very close family member. But I appreciated her reflection of her journey and her celebration of life. This is a good lesson to surround yourself with the positive, which she did. An interesting read.

Many thanks to #netgalley #deliaephron #leftontenth for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A poignant, unforgettable portrait of a woman who loses the love of her life...and then discovers that life can not only survive such blows, but endure and thrive. A love story (actually, more than one love story), a story of facing a potentially fatal illness, LEFT ON TENTH is first and foremost about the richness of the relationships Delia Ephron celebrates with her friends.

Many thanks to Little Brown and to Netgalley for the pleasure of an early read.

Although Ephron has penned plenty of romantic comedies (You’ve Got Mail, for example), her memoir paints a less than picture perfect life. After cancer strikes both her famous sister (Nora) and her husband, she makes the decision to turn off her late husband’s phone line, which takes down her internet, but makes the space she needs to write a New York Times op-ed, exploring her grief. Peter, a West-Coast psychiatrist, reads her piece and reaches out, as he is also recently widowed, and in fact, over half a century earlier, the two briefly dated, though Efron doesn’t remember this. Peter flies to the East Coast to visit and they fall madly in love, but four months later, Ephron is diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. This book will make you smile and simultaneously tug on your heartstrings. Filled to the brim with memories, feelings and finding love after seventy, Left on Tenth explores the gamut of what makes a life. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

Such an inspired beautifully told story. I’ve been going through soot of personal things in my life as of late and this memoir was feet relatable and poignant. Truly a beautiful book.

This book is part love story and part medical memoir. The love story includes her love for her first husband, her city, her friends. She has the most amazing friendships from all walks of life. I loved the story of how Delia met her second husband and adored the thought of a second chance at love in her 70s. However, after finding her new love, she received devastating medical news. The medical part of the book was really difficult to read. Having lost my mom to cancer, reading about her experiences with the different drugs and side effects were just too much for me.

Left on Tenth is a memoir that wears a lot of hats. Part grief after losing her husband, part second chance love, part cancer journey, part tale of friendship, this book is rich with stories. I have not read Delia Ephron’s books but I enjoyed this introduction. Her writing style is comfortable and made for an enjoyable reading experience. I highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a poignant memoir of Delia Ephron (sister of Nora). Nora died from leukemia several years ago; then Delia’s beloved husband Jerry also died of cancer. Remarkably, Delia finds love and marriage again at age 72 with Peter. Things are looking up, right? Four months later, Delia is diagnosed with AML, the same cancer that killed her sister.

Most of the book deals with Delia’s cancer journey. But even more, is the story of second chances, love & devotion, friendship, grief and conquering your demons.

She gives a brutally honest account of cancer, from diagnosis, to treatment, to transplant, to recovery. It was it times difficult to read. I couldn’t help but be reminded of all of her privilege throughout the book, and it made me wonder how a person with less wealth and celebrity would be able to afford to deal with these challenges.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Delia Ephron, younger sister of the bit more famous Nora Ephron, details her journey and coping with loss of spouse and sister, finding new love late in life, and personal crisis/illness. Though not as famous as her elder sister, Delia Ephron is a good writer herself. In this account, she deals with traumatic life occurrences without being maudlin or preachy. The emotional impact of her narrative can get taxing at times, and i found myself taking breaks to read something else awhile, but for the elder demographic this is an affecting and relatable book.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not unlike In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss, this memoir speaks to some of my deepest fears: losing a spouse, terminal illness, and even the death of a pet (content warning). But it also speaks to love lost and found and the grittiness of commitment and caretaking when one is ill.

First, Delia Ephron is a writer, but second, she is the sister of beloved rom-com icon Nora Ephron. Delia lives in the shadow of her sister not only on page and screen, but also in the marrow: genetic leukemia. After Nora succumbs to cancer and those same vicious markers appear in Delia's blood, the darkness of Nora's suffering shadow haunts her: will their outcomes be the same?

A rollercoaster of a memoir

I was in love with Nora Ephron and was crushed when she died of leukemia in 2012. A comic genius, she was. I had laughed myself silly with her I Feel Bad About My Neck, and I loved her movies, especially Sleepless in Seattle. It didn’t hurt that she was a New Yorker, which I secretly wish I was. I have her phrase, “everything is copy,” walking around in my head; it’s pretty much a mantra. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me listening hard and looking closely.

But what? She had a sister! Turns out Delia Ephron is a writer, too, with movies like You’ve Got Mail on her resume. I read two books by her—her collection of essays called Sister Mother Husband Dog, and a novel, Siracusa. Loved both to death. I would say she’s one hell of a funny writer, too—like sister, like sister.

So it was a no brainer when I saw she had a new book coming out. I requested it, no questions asked. I assumed it would be another cheerful and witty collection of essays. Wrong. This is an intense little memoir, about three events in her life: her beloved husband’s death from prostate cancer, her discovery of love in her 70s (telling us that yes, old people do still kiss, LOL), and then a devastating diagnosis of the same leukemia that killed her sister Nora.

What a rollercoaster this book was. Here was my trip trajectory: Sad, happy, horrified, hopeful. (Yeah, it’s a good thing it ended on the upbeat.) Delia met her new love all because she had a Verizon experience from hell right after her husband died. (We’ve all had that kind of phone madness, so instant sympathy for her there!) She ended up writing a piece about it, and damn if this guy didn’t read it, track her down, and woo her online. Turns out she had actually gone out with him moons ago. Her descriptions of their budding romance and marriage were delicious, and I could have stayed in that story forever. But that wasn’t to be—when she was diagnosed with leukemia, her life changed forever and so did this memoir.

The leukemia story takes up most of the book, and it is grueling. Delia makes you feel like you’re right there in the hospital room with her. I was a fly on the wall, observing it all and groaning in agony with her. Man, did she have a terrible time of it; it was all so intense and horrifying. It felt like a friend was telling me her experience—Delia describes all the emotions she’s going through while keeping to the medical facts, too. I found the medical part fascinating. Oh, and she talks about the love of her new husband and all her friends, who rallied by her side. Group hug. Her new husband was just amazing, the calm voice and constant cheerleader. It didn’t hurt that he was a doctor—he could talk doctor-speak and get the real scoop.

At one point, she begged her husband to let her die. He wouldn’t hear of it (not that he could have made that happen anyway). It made me think. Not long ago, I read The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, which was about a dying woman whose kids disregarded her wish to die. I was shaken when I saw that Delia’s wishes were dismissed—shouldn’t she be allowed to check out if she wanted to? She was suffering so much—it was hard to read about. I felt that he should let her go; maybe figure out how to help her die. But look! She returned to a good life! So he was right to not listen to her! And I was wrong to think he should have!

The leukemia story was so devastating that I felt like she wouldn’t make it; I had to keep reminding myself that she lived to tell the story, so chillax. Chilling out was not easy, however. I have someone very close to me with terminal cancer and she is going through the ringer. Some of the medical details are similar. It was scary to be reading about the details of death lurking around the corner, but it was also cathartic and familiar. I’m sure I related to Delia’s story even more because I’m the same age as her.

The blurbs say the book is funny. Seriously, given the subject matter, there ain’t much funny here. Oh, very occasionally, especially during the romance section, Delia gave me a chuckle or two. One line tickled me: “Women don’t care about weather, they only care about what the weather will do to their hair.”

And she did have some pieces of wisdom. One of her comments was actually epiphany material for me; she said something about herself that applied to my life, too. That was pure gold! Another relatable thing: when she lost her beloved dog, she said, “I miss all the love, action, and conversation she brought to my life.” I lost my wonderful cat, Bobo, a couple of months ago, and her comment brought tears to my eyes. She also mentioned how if you get a pet and you’re old, you have to think about who will take your pet if it outlives you. So true, so sad. You just don’t think about such things if you’re a young pet owner. Getting old sucks.

Delia included emails from friends who were constantly checking on her and sending love. If I had any complaints about the book, I’d say that the emails added nothing—they were just basic greetings that you’d expect to arrive in her mailbox. Oh, such a minor complaint! I’m guessing that by including the emails she was giving extra thanks to all of her friends, and that’s a nice gesture.

I debated whether to include so many details about the book in this review, but I decided that spoilers aren’t an issue here. I want readers to know how dark it is (in case, like me, they think they are about to read something funny), but also that it is hopeful in the end.

Delia is an amazing writer; her story is so well told. I want to be her buddy, just like I wanted to be Nora’s. I do feel like I want to bug her monthly and see if she’s still doing okay, but I don’t want to be a stalker, lol. Throughout her story, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping she’d be alright, and rooting for her all the way. Just so glad she could share her heartfelt story with us.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Publication Date: April 12, 2022

I'm always a fan of Delia's writing. After losing her husband and sister, and dealing with leukemia, Ms. Ephron brings a lot of humor and light to her writing. She explores what it means to grieve and face death. Themes of the importance of friendship and love were throughout this book. I couldn't put it down.