A New Jersey–based former CPA and executive recounts stepping up as a caregiver for his beloved older sister after she received a terminal diagnosis.

In his debut memoir, Ledbetter chronicles the final six weeks of his older sister Nancy’s life. Nancy had already spent years fighting breast cancer; her remission ended when the cancer metastasized to her brain. The author helped Nancy and her daughter, Chelsea, to make the soul-wrenching decision to forgo additional treatment and take Nancy to Chelsea’s home for hospice care. He discovered there wasn’t “a person who would arrive to do the work…The work was ours.” With the careful attention to detail his career had instilled in him, Ledbetter tracked his sister’s medications and attended to her physical needs until she was finally at peace. While dealing with a deeply sorrowful topic, Ledbetter infuses warmth into the text with his richly textured writing and thoughtful anecdotes, such as a story about setting a Christmas tree by Nancy’s hospice bed. Nancy’s humor shines through in the narrative; when her hospital bed wouldn’t fit in the bedroom, she calmy quipped, “put me in the living room like Grandpap, just don’t drop me this time.” Her strong Christian faith is evident throughout the book, as is her lifelong devotion to caring for others. Ledbetter recalls his and Nancy’s shared hardships as the weeks passed, such as their parents’ divorce, but he repeatedly circles back to the happiness both siblings felt throughout their lives thanks to a large group of relatives and friends. Just as a good CPA would be honest about an imperfect balance sheet, the author is candid about his family and various personal challenges in a way that’s not harsh but rather is indicative of integrity. The memoir affectingly demonstrates how one can truly show up for loved ones throughout their entire lives, including the end.

A touching tribute to the author’s sister and a testament to the power of family, friendship, and faith.