The End of My Life Is Killing Me - by Annabelle Gurwitch

Book Synopsis

In this deftly comedic and deeply contemplative memoir, the New York Times bestselling author faces life's biggest curveball only to find resilience in the most unlikely places.
After Annabelle Gurwitch received an out-of-the blue diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer, an existential dread set in. Precision medicine offered a temporary reprieve--but instead of turning into a cancer warrior, Annabelle declared herself a cancer slacker. Her motto: no runs, no ribbons, no religion.

Told with her signature wit, warmth, and gimlet eye, Gurwitch draws inspiration from Greek mythology and TV comedies, Kermit the Frog and Samuel Beckett. She accidentally acquires an angel, embraces being in it "just for the sex," and finds herself on a European van tour selling merch for a heavy metal band.

In this hilariously and deeply affecting meditation on mortality, the actress and activist illuminates life with chronic disease, inequities in care, and celebrates tiny victories, the crusty ends of baguettes, the discreet pleasure of sucking at a hobby, and the unshakable bond of female friendship. She upends the notion of living each day as if it were your last, as she discovers you can carpe too much diem, embracing, instead, the extraordinariness of the ordinary.

Review Quotes

"Annabelle Gurwitch's The End of My Life Is Killing Me has wit sharp enough to cut through sentimentality and honesty that refuses to look away. Part memoir, part meditation on the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary, part laugh-out-loud commentary on the absurd and irritating realities of life and death, it's a reminder that even in our darkest hours, we can choose what to notice, what to celebrate, and how to live."
--Gretchen Rubin, author of The Four Tendencies

"Gurwitch at her most fearless--witty, skeptical, and wide awake to the absurdities of being alive. With her singular blend of humor and insight, here she juggles the comically tragic and the tragically comedic, writing with vulnerability and verve as if her life depends on it. And, it does."
--Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone

"You will fall in love with Annabelle Gurwitch's smart, affirming, funny, and wise approach to embracing life fully in The End of My Life is Killing Me. A delight to read that will also leave you deeply moved."
--Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book

"Resilient, hilarious, unfiltered, and honest, just like the author herself. The principal thing that great writing can do is remind us that we are not alone, that someone else has been there and understands. In that moment of connection it feels like we have a friend. How lucky we are to have such a friend in Annabelle Gurwitch--adversity's greatest foe is her singular wit."
--Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle

"Annabelle Gurwitch's The End of My Life is Killing Me is a Trojan Horse of sorts: a hysterically funny page-turner that is packed throughout with practical advice and timeless wisdom."
--Will Schwalbe, author of The End of Your Life Book Club

"Annabelle Gurwitch's hilarious, witty, moving, powerful book, The End of My Life Is Killing Me, killed me."
--E. Jean Carroll, author of Not My Type

"With wit and wisdom and more wit again, Annabelle Gurwitch's The End of My Life is Killing Me is a beautiful book about living boldly in the face of the impossible and having the last laugh."
--Bess Kalb, author of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me

"This book is hilarious and helpful. We don't tend to think of cancer narratives as hilarious, and we don't tend to think of humor as helpful, but I promise you, this book is both. On the page, Gurwitch is a wise-cracking, unflinching, insightful heroine and like your best friend who you never want to get off the phone with. This book is a gift."
--Sarah Ruhl, author of Smile: The Story of a Face

"In this extraordinary account, Annabelle Gurwitch trains her masterful blend of humor, insight, and pointed social and political critique on her own experience with cancer. The result is one of the most generous books I've ever read. Gurwitch lights the way not only for those dealing with illness, but for anyone who wants to know how to live, against any odds, filled with passion, a sense of adventure, and kindness."
--Marisa Silver, author of Mary Coin

"With this hilarious and poignant book, the great Annabelle Gurwitch proves that inspirational literature can be spiky and fun and prone to sentences like 'Juicers are the Waterford crystal bowls of the newly diagnosed.' What doesn't kill her makes her funnier. All hail!"
--Henry Alford, author of How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People

About the Author