A Sister's Tale

'One of those apparently simple but unforgettable pieces of writing that just stay on and on in the memory.' - Rosie Thomas 


'So touching. This is as much Dally's story as John's, and her growing awareness of her own vulnerability and neediness, which she has disguised for years under the mask of the sturdy, capable big sister, is painfully honest.' - The Times 


'This surprisingly candid memoir...it's hard not to be moved by this tale...a poignant, no-frills record of life.' - Mirror 


'Endearing honesty...a tribute to loving sisterhood as much to a young man struck down in his prime.' - Irish Times 


John Dally flies from New York to London to be admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. It is an illness that signals the beginning of a gruelling journey towards his death from AIDS at some point in the near future. For John's siblings, it will be the death of another brother; for his parents, the death of another son in his mid-thirties. 


In this moving description of John's last months, his sister Emma describes the impact that AIDS has on his friend and family. It describes everyone's efforts to look after him, the rapid deterioration of his health and the final weeks when he is cared for at home. Capturing the intense camaraderie and tensions that develop between the people at John's bedside, Emma Dally draws an affectionate but frank picture of her handsome younger brother, showing that being close to death does not change someone's essential character. 


About The Author: 

Emma Dally is the author of several books including three novels and a biography of her grandfather, the law reformer Claud Mullins. She is Group Director of Books at Hearst Magazines UK and lives in London.