Leaves of Love was part of Random Things Tour in August. Check out the stunning reviews here.
Its beautiful, empathic and heart warming. The powerful depth of the descriptions of love and grief are interspersed with a touch of humour around massaging feet, the benefits of good nutrition and music being good for the soul. I am thoroughly enjoying the stories, it aligns to my own ethos and that of Home Instead and one of the many reasons I chose to start the business. Alison Scutt, Director of Home Instead Senior Care
Oh my goodness! This is so lovely! I have cried as I read it. So much of it reminded me of what I did and still wanted to do as a nurse when life in the hospital became increasingly busy and the time to do the small things seemed to be considered less important. I think this book should be shared widely. It is not a technical book nor an academic read but I do think it could be a powerful recommended read for all care givers. Carol C
This is a gem of a book. As the main carer for my 93 year old mum, I was interested to see if ‘Leaves of Love’ could offer me any tips on how to make our shared journey towards my mum’s end of life a better one. And it certainly did. Many of the ideas and suggestions are simple and imbued with common sense but very often, when we are close to someone, we cannot see the obvious. The book is beautifully written with a warmth and empathy that make it a very uplifting read. Lucy is not afraid to discuss the aspects of dying that as a society, we tend to shrink away from. It is a journey that we are all on, the more we talk about it, the better. Maria K
Lucy’s book, Leaves of Love, offers profounds insights from the often hidden world at the end of life. The stories she tells, and the suggestions she offers, are a reminder of that people’s last days on earth can be sweet, intimate and precious, if only we would pay attention and take the time to be present. All of us may spend time at the bedside of a loved one who is dying. Lucy’s book is a thoughtful and beautiful account of the ways we can make that time matter. Leaves of Love may be about death and dying, but it reminded me that every day of life can be lived well. Dru J
Told with humble and compassionate authority, Leaves of Love unites the innate wisdom of individual story with the author’s experience and insight to provide an exquisite celebration of ageing and dying. Throughout this book, Lucy demonstrates her extraordinary capacity for love and quality of attention, both in her relationship with those whose lives and deaths she has enhanced and in her guidance of how we might all navigate this threshold with skill, kindness and love. A thought-provoking, tender and heartening book; it has been a tremendous gift to read. Chris Turley
This is a wonderful book. The sub-title says it all – “Stories of ageing and dying well”. Do not be put off.
It is a book that has things to say to everyone and we can all reflect on it and work out things for ourselves. It is a book for everyone because it is about something that all human beings experience – death and caring for someone important to us as they die. There is no escape from that. We don’t need to have pandemics to tell us that. For each person we are with as they die – and ourselves – there is only one chance to get it as good as we can.
Lucy writes from her experiences, the people she has been with, her reflections. Her writing fills the reader with the glow of humanity and we are carried along through the brief chapters with her style full of the poetry of life, the positives that are present or can be found however dark illness can be.
This is a book for people whose work brings them in contact with people as they die and for all of us as human beings. It is a book that made me think about my parents’ deaths and what I should talk over with my son now. It helps us to face what is inevitable – by an attitude of mind and practical help – and so make it better. Chris Taylor