Death of an Ordinary Man

Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry’s father-in-law, David, died at home nine days after a cancer diagnosis and having previously been in the good health. The speed of his illness outstripped that of the NHS and social care, so the majority of nursing fell to Sarah and her husband. They witnessed what happens to the body and spirit, hour by hour, as it approaches death. This title is an unstinting account of death by cancer, a reportage into the daily experience of caring, an exploration of the structural conditions of dying in the UK, and most importantly a testament to David’s life, that of an ordinary man. Unflinching and profoundly moving, Sarah Perry confronts the taboo surrounding death and shows us how to confront all of the terror and beauty that comes with the end of life – and how the saddest thing she has ever seen is also the best thing she’s ever done.

£11.99

In stock

Description

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION 2025**

*LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2026*

‘Please read this book. It may very well change how you live’ Rachel Clarke
‘Filled with love?I was spellbound’ Kathryn Mannix
‘Brilliant?so special’ Guardian

Sarah Perry’s father-in-law David died in the autumn of 2022, only nine days after a cancer diagnosis. He was in some ways a very ordinary man: he loved stamp collecting, fish and chips, comic novels and his local church. Yet as Sarah and her husband Robert nursed David through his final days, they realised how extraordinary he really was.

This loving, clear-eyed and unforgettable book shows how death may be met and understood as a part of life – a universal experience that is terrible and beautiful, intimate and real, sometimes all at once.

*A Book of the Year for The Times, Guardian, Financial Times and Observer*

‘Beautiful and profound and completely gripping’ Mark Haddon

‘A must-read’ The Times

‘We cannot be but somewhat changed by this remarkable book’ Telegraph

‘This book will be a lifeline for so many people’ Seán Hewitt

‘Perry is in a league of her own’ Sara Collins

Additional information

Weight 0.2 kg
Dimensions 19.8 × 12.9 × 1.5 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

208

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

362.1969940092 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K