Life on Hold by Laurel Seiler Brunvoll and David G. Seiler.

The National Office is fortunate to receive newly published books appropriate for our specialty. All are forwarded to our journal editor for consideration for formal reviews in future issues of the journal. However, I wanted to personally comment on one book we recently received, Life on Hold, by Laurel Seiler Brunvoll and David G. Seiler. It is an unusual blend of journal entries, family feedback, and scripture readings of value to the authors.

The spiritually driven journal entries were written by Nancy Sara Seiler during her final 4 years of living with metastatic ovarian cancer. These entries are interwoven with practical advice from her husband, David, and her daughter, Laurel. Between the three, they offer ways to find hope in the face of serious illness.

I must be honest in that the book is written from a Christian perspective. Those not of a Christian faith may find it less useful. Still, I found the practical recommendations offered by Brunvoll and Seiler to be very helpful, such as:

* the ministry of presence

* ways spouse and friends can help

* how to discuss end-of-life care needs

* how to say goodbye

Wisely selected scripture passages provide supportive evidence of God's unconditional love and never-failing loving arms to carry us through our difficult times.

I found Life on Hold to be an inspiring and compelling book. Perhaps you will find it of value to you in your practice. Life on Hold is published by Multnomah Publishers Inc. (ISBN: 1576737608; April 2001) with a list price of $10.99. It is available at http://amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (http://www.bn.com), as well as local bookstores.