Losing Susan Brain Disease, the Priest′s Wife, and the God Who Gives and Takes Away Paperback – Illustrated, 28 February 2017

I thought this was a brilliant book. The author is so honest, sometimes painfully so, about his own feelings as well as the way in which Susan's decline impacted the family. There is, too, a great awareness of love - his love for her, and God's love for them. The theological reflection is very interesting and challenging at times.

I am going to be honest. This book made me cry more often than not. I think it is because of the honesty in which Fr. Austin talked about his experiences with Susan. This easily has to be one of the best books I have ever read. From a Pastoral Care perspective, it provides the reader a perspective of understanding the questions of why God does what he does to those we love. He provides a unique view of God's love and the pain of losing a loved one. God's love can not be explained. God loves us and we love our spouses. However, God will ask for our Love back and at that point, we must accept that he will take back what He loves. Death is not an end but often times a release and a joy because it restores the equal nature the spouses have for one another.Fr. Austin after explaining his time with Susan discusses Jesus at the crucifixion. He describes it as a loud event with screams much how our life is constantly bombarded with things that need our attention. At the end, when Jesus had everything against him he still prays to God "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46) Fr. Austin says that when God takes back our love there is finally silence. A calm peaceful feeling. He gives us the ability to be equal again. No matter how dark and bad it gets, Jesus has been further and therefore is with us. Although this prayer is in a question it shows that despite being at the darkest place without God, Jesus still prayed to God.I have found this book an important book for those looking into Pastoral Care and for those that are currently in it. The reason I believe this is because it comes from the point of view of the caregiver and survivor. It is a raw look into the emotions and trial of faith for the vow "For Sickness and In Health". It reminds us that it is the simple things that we love. That even in the worst of it there is still meaning in the prayers we say from the time we are children till now. In the midst of our theological teaching sometimes the survivor does n0t need to know the theological answer but needs hear the basic simple words of our youth. Jesus loves you and is with you although your paths diverge from one another, at the end your love and you will be reunited for greater things to come.

Having lost my wife to brain cancer two years ago, I was hungry for a perspective on the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people and vice-versa. Knowing this was written by a pastor, I expected a somewhat preachy self-righteous book. Far from it, his experience seems to cause him to step back from his chosen profession and view it as a layman, to question his own faith at times, just as I guess we all do. He brings biblical references to us in an educational, rather than preachy way. I think many of us who don't wear our religion on our sleeves, are not known as "Bible Thumpers" are not extremely active in a church, etc, and while generally believing in God, but retaining just a hint of agnosticism, really appreciate his honest way of coming to terms with his loss. So much of what he experienced, I experienced... In the end, while I can say his faith is undoubtedly stronger than mine, this book was and is a very comforting read.

A profound story of suffering and a priest's insight in the depths of sorrow, the love that took him there and the love that sustained him. An insight into the very nature of love and the self-giving of Jesus.

An honest, engaging story of what it's like to lose someone you love while holding on to your faith. This is not a tearjerker, but the sense of impending doom and loss hangs like a dark cloud over the narrative. I read it slowly, since I knew how it would end and I didn't want it to end.