Article contributed by Laura Glassman
After The End is a heart-rending and sensitively told story about parents who find themselves in an impossibly difficult situation. Pip and Max Adams spent two and a half years raising a happy and healthy little boy, Dylan. They notice things are amiss and after a time, he is diagnosed as having a brain tumour. The story is told in the days, weeks, months, and years following the surgery that he has. Ultimately, they must make a tough decision regarding his future and his treatment, but they disagree. After The End is about their experience as parents before and after this decision and in the years following two potential, and differently imagined outcomes.
What is particularly noteworthy about this story is that the author, Clare Mackintosh, had experienced a similar situation as a parent, which inspired her to write this story. It is evident from the emotion and thoughtfulness of this book that this was a story which was close to her heart.
At its heart, this is a book about parenthood. It is a story about parents who lived a seemingly perfect life until their son’s illness shatters that experience and takes from them the initial feeling of perfection. The experiences of both parents are portrayed absolutely beautifully from the start and the story is told in a way that allows us to easily empathise with what each parent feels. Mackintosh describes in touching detail what it’s like for each of them as they process Dylan’s illness, the experience of being parents who frequent the PICU, the prognosis, and their feelings regarding his life and their futures. We see how it feels to be a parent in the hospital with Dylan, to navigate the waters of interacting with parents of healthy children, to reminisce about Dylan’s earlier years, and to grapple with news from the hospital. Despite the fact that the two parents ultimately have different viewpoints regarding Dylan’s treatment and future, readers can see that both are good parents in their own way, each wanting what they feel is best for a child they deeply love.
After The End is written in alternating chapters that each capture a character’s viewpoint. While most chapters tell the story from Max and Pip’s perspectives, some chapters tell the story from Dylan’s doctor, Leila’s point of view. For this reason, readers can easily understand and empathise with the thoughts and emotions of each of the characters. Additionally, Leila’s perspective conveys to readers that the job of a doctor in a hospital that treats critically ill children is quite a challenge, as we come to understand her emotions in treating the children under her care and sharing information with parents.
One area that this book covers exceptionally well is the impact of each of two possible court decisions on Pip and Max’s relationship. When parents differ on what the fate of a beloved child should be, it makes sense that it is hard for them to reconcile their differences. And yet, Clare Mackintosh writes thoughtfully about both their deep differences at the time when they must make a decision, and their complex feelings about each other and the relationship following the changes that occur later. She adeptly captures how scary and uncertain things must feel, despite each parent’s relative surety in their respective decision about Dylan.
In the latter half of the book, After The End follows an unusual structure. Pip’s chapters follow her narrative following the imagined scenario if she won in court. Max’s chapters follow his perspective following what would happen if he won in court. This was both interesting a frustrating to follow as a reader. It was fascinating to compare how different choices could impact the characters lives in such a profound way. It was also a bit frustrating and awkward to follow two separate story lines between breaks after each chapter. In some ways, reading a book which follows one storyline that moves ahead in time feels preferable to following two divergent stories, however thought provoking.
After The End makes is sure to make any reader question what it means to live a good life. There are no easy answers. It also brings up questions of how parents can possibly make a difficult decision on behalf of a child who is too young to understand what is happening or to speak on behalf of their own future (and too sick to be aware). It is a question that will make readers think about what it might be like to be in those characters’ shoes, and what parents and doctors must unfortunately go through all the time when faced with similar circumstances.
This is a heartbreaking, heavy story. It is also told with great sensitivity and respect for the experiences of families that must go through the sort of experience that Pip, Max and Dylan went through. It is not a book to be picked up if you are looking for a light and easy read. It may also not be an easy book for parents of young children to read, in particular. However, it is truly insightful and heartfelt story about a heart-rending and incredibly tough situation. Clare Mackintosh presents the different perspectives well and keeps readers invested in knowing the outcome of her characters’ stories.
After The End is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They’re best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can’t agree. They each want a different future for their son.
What if they could have both?
A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.
