Book Review: Beneath the Dark Ice
For a woman to find a man worthy of her love is not easy; certainly not for a woman who has gone through marriage, hope, abuse, heartbreak and divorce. When she does, it is nothing short of a miracle. What starts as a cautious second coming, blooms into genuine love that stems from unabashed respect for a man who seems to have it all — good looks, athletic body and an intelligent mind.
When he proposes marriage and then happen three bonny children, it all seems like a dream come true… until she is rudely woken up by the harsh reality of life — death comes knocking. She knows that death stalks everywhere, but that it would descend on her lovely family catches her unaware.
The only sin of the family was that it was an ideal family. How does one summon the courage to inform a four-year-old that his father was going to die shortly? And for the parents themselves to do this is nothing short of a nightmare. It could shatter the bravest of the brave.
While Jai Pausch records her life as a caregiver through Dream New Dreams, she moves the reader to wanting to do something useful in a situation of such helpless angst. Everyone who has known the sentiments that a terminally-ill person goes through, is inspired by this book to want to be of some help.
Jai pushes herself to levels she never believed she was capable of in her will to ease the pains of her ailing husband. Her inspiration in this endeavour is none other than that husband, Randy Pausch, the man who is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has been pronounced the death verdict. The fact that he deals with the upcoming eventuality objectively provides her with the strength required in such a situation.
Circumstances sometimes are so overbearing that cracks develop in the hitherto perfect wife-husband relationship. Inadequacies in the otherwise advanced medical field are exposed; that of limited study and guidance to the caregiver, who is an integral cog in the wheel. Professional counselling is sought and that helps tide over these testing times.
The story moves back and forth in time, much like the mind of a person in absolute grief. Though warned, I couldn’t help myself from getting depressed. If we do not use the emotional turmoil bound to be raised on reading the book constructively, we are likely to stay melancholic for a long time to come.
Name: Beneath the Dark Ice
Author: Jai Pausch
Pages: 230
Publisher: Hachette India
Category: Books
About the Author (Author Profile)
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