When Life Gives You Pears
The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People
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4.6 • 90 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Big Sick meets Dad is Fat in this funny and heartfelt New York Times bestselling memoir from writer, director, wife, and mother, Jeannie Gaffigan, as she reflects on the life-changing impact of her battle with a pear-sized brain tumor.
In 2017, Jeannie's life came to a crashing halt when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor. As the mother of 5 kids -- 6 if you include her husband -- sat in the neurosurgery department in star-covered sweats too whimsical for the seriousness of the situation, all she could think was "Am I going to die?"
Thankfully, Jeannie and her family were able to survive their time of crisis, and now she is sharing her deeply personal journey through this miraculous story: the challenging conversations she had with her children; how she came to terms with feeling powerless and ferociously crabby while bedridden and unable to eat for a month; and how she ultimately learned, re-learned and re re-learned to be more present in life.
With sincerity and hilarity, Jeannie invites you into her heart (and brain) during this trying time, emphasizing the importance of family, faith and humor as keys to her recovery and leading a more fulfilling life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Comedy writer Gaffigan presents a surprisingly hilarious story about surviving a brain tumor in this debut memoir. Also a producer and mother of five, Gaffigan (who is married to comedian Jim Gaffigan) ignores increasingly annoying symptoms declining hearing in one ear, balance problems until a doctor insists she get checked out. The resulting MRI revealed a pear-shaped tumor (the inspiration for the book's title) crowding Gaffigan's brain stem and turned her life, and her family's, upside down. Throughout a difficult period involving a tracheotomy, feeding tube, and a stay in the intensive care unit, Gaffigan never loses her sense of humor, even when eating has been a struggle for several weeks. She also relays other difficult times in her life especially an earlier loss of a much-wanted premature baby daughter with grace and unflinching honesty. Her Catholic faith is evident throughout and her accessible writing style and honest voice create an intoxicating spell as she writes tenderly of learning the importance of living in the moment. Whimsically, Gaffigan thanks her brain tumor in her acknowledgements, for teaming her with outstanding medical providers and for inspiring her loving family. Readers will be uplifted by Gaffigan's perseverance and outlook.
Customer Reviews
A must read…
…especially for healthcare providers at all levels. Some parts were hard to read, but Jeannie’s humor made it doable and exciting. After 57 years of marriage, it was heartwarming to read of such a deeply committed and evolving partnership Jeannie and her husband formed in the most challenging circumstances. The faith expressed and the descriptions of the obvious fingerprints of God in her life were awesome. My husband and I wish Jim and Jeannie all the best.