Review of “The A to Z of You and Me” by James Hannah

The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark on May 3rd 2016
Pages: 336
Goodreads

He has all kinds of everyday joy in his life -- he's young, he's in love, he has friends who promise to stand by him if life ever goes wrong.
Then one day, life does go wrong.
He makes a mistake, and it's big and unforgiveable. Now time is running out, and his life is falling apart. But he's going to put it back together again. His own way.
This is a story about how far love must stretch to gather a life in pieces -- and about how a strong friendship never dies.

This book filled me with a sense of bittersweet melancholy from start to finish. Ivo is a young man with diabetes who didn’t take very good care of himself and, as a result, his kidneys have failed and he’s in a hospice with (mostly) elderly people who are (mostly) dying of cancer. Throughout the book we learn the details of how he lost Mia, the love of his life. The story  of Mia and Ivo, which is slowly revealed, is certainly central but by no means all this book has going for it. It’s really a beautiful exploration of all types of relationships that complicate and make our lives whole. It’s also a more-than-gentle reminder that the choices we make today can have life-long effects on not just ourselves but those who love us.

My heart broke reading about Ivo’s mother and the way she cared for him. Having lost her husband to cancer when Ivo was just a boy, I found her love and sadness palpable. Though she is not mentioned frequently, I felt James Hannah did a fantastic job of bringing her character to life in a rich a meaningful way.

Another character that certainly deserves to be talked about is Sheila, Ivo’s nurse. I wonder if the author has spent time in a  hospital or perhaps has a nurse in his life as I’m a nurse by profession, and felt as though she could have been been a colleague at some point in my career. There’s a certain way to best take care of someone who is dying and it’s truly an art. Sometimes it’s best to leave someone to silence, sometimes it’s best to draw them out. There are times when distraction is a good tactic and times when the problem must be faced head on. Times when you are asked to muddle in business you really would prefer not to be involved in and times when you must gently and respectfully insert your nose in a place it may not belong under other circumstances. What I’m saying is that everyone should have a Sheila when the times comes…

As for Ivo’s  sister and circle of friends, I found them to be relatable. They provide influences that are times positive and, at times, not. They give good advice and bad. Probably not much different from friends we all have now and especially when we were young. It’s sometimes difficult, particularly in the case of Ivo’s friend Mal, (short of Malachy but interesting that mal means bad in French) to tell if they have malintentions or simply the selfishness and recklessness that are part and parcel of youth itself. In any event, suffice to say that friendships are tested.

Though there are lots of heavy topics and themes presented in this book, it’s beautifully written with wit and warm compassion. I look forward to seeing what James Hannah will come out with next.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.