Ready to Live, Prepared to Die: A Provocative Guide to the Rest of Your Life

Are you afraid of dying?

Are you hesitant to talk with those who you love about your last wishes?

Do you avoid the tasks that help you prepare for the future?

Or, are you helping someone--a spouse, parent, friend, patient, or client--who is working through the issues of death and the quality of life?

When Amy Harwell found out she had rapidly progressing cancer, she began a journey of discovery and faith that led her to a new understanding: Once we are well-prepared to die, we are really freed to live.

With a hopefulness that never loses touch with reality, Harwell accompanies her readers through the mundane tasks involving health-care directives, legal documents, and funeral arrangement, and on to the profound opportunities of saying good-bye to those we love. Each step of the journey offers possibilities to grow and discover God anew. And Amy, a seasoned traveler, includes notes from her own passage, useful questions, and a checklist for others on the road.

Since the publication of When Your Friend Gets Cancer, Amy Harwell (M.A., University of Chicago) has addressed patient groups, hospice volunteers, and health-care professionals dealing with AIDS, cancer, heart disease, and other life-changing medical conditions.