I read this book slowly over a period of weeks because there's so much in it to digest, emotionally and intellectually.

It's written by a palliative care doctor whom I first heard speak about her work on the radio. She was very impressive in her gentle authority and reassurance, and this book is similarly sensitively, beautifully and compellingly written, explaining what we all need to know about death.

The author is a masterful storyteller. She introduces us to some wonderful characters, meeting them at very difficult, tragic periods of their lives, but also sharing with them in moments of great beauty, kindness, empathy and peace.

The stories are drawn from 40 years of clinical practice and she uses their particular experiences to explore intimate questions about the process of dying.

"She makes a compelling case for the therapeutic power of approaching death not with trepidation, but with openness, clarity and understanding," reads the jacket information and her tenderness and the time and care she and her colleagues devote to their patients is profoundly moving. It's full of compassion, honesty and humanity.

"Read this book, and you'll be better prepared for life as well as death."