On My Way Back To You by Sarah Cart is a look into a caregiver’s side of things when a loved one is going through a difficult health crisis and having to be the one who cares for them. Her husband is the one going through the health crisis. And she is his caregiver throughout the crisis. It’s very hard on the husband, but he admits that it was harder for her because she had to go through a lot of mental exhaustion. She physically was exhausted but also mentally as well and this was the reason for her writing this book. I liked it but there was a lot of writing of doctor visits and medication talk. I understand that that is difficult to understand and keep track of, but there wasn’t enough of spiritual help, though on occasion she did add it in there. It just ended up being kind of flat for me, but still very helpful in making other caregivers knowledgeable of how things are in every home with health crisis issues. Sometimes we think no one else have this problem or that problem but it shows how it usually is and to not beat yourself up about mistakes or things you do not understand.

Though I found this story very interesting and I was defintiely pulling for Ben and Sarah to make it through to the other side, I found that this memoir lacked emotion for me. It is a very detailed account of Ben's illness and particularly the months leading up to and immediately following his heart transplant. Sarah indicated that she had kept a journal and that was exactly how it felt for me reading it. I would have preferred a narrative account rather than the almost bullet point approach to covering each day and what that looked like. The way it was organized felt very clinical and detached. It was also very repetitive in parts. I get that it happened during the pandemic but I felt that it was beaten into the reader that Covid was an issue at the time.

There were a few times where Sarah discussed her emotions and I found those sections powerful but they were lost in the minutia of some of the other sections. I also found the epilogue to very good. There I feel both Ben and Sarah spent time discussing the emotional nature of what they had overcome.

Overall, this was an interesting account of one couple's struggle through serious illness. It will resonate with other people going through similar struggles. I just wish that more time was spent exploring the myriad of emotions they likely experienced over the course of the year or so that is the main focus of the book.

I do wish Ben continued good health and Sarah relief from the mental anguish of being the support person.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow what a book. My heart ached reading it. Lovely.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I enjoyed this book very much but wouldn't use it for teaching. Nonetheless, the narrative is strong and the characters are delineated well. The story line is gripping.