Five Days Left

This week I have finished reading an excellent book. It was "Five Days left" of Julie Lawson Timmer. One of my favourite writers recommended this book with these words:
“A beautifully drawn study of what is at risk when you lose control of your own life. Unique, gripping, and viscerally moving—this impressive debut novel heralds the arrival of an extremely talented writer.”

This is the story about a woman who four year ago was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. Her name is Mara. Over time, she was becoming weaker and weaker, until she finally had to leave work. You have to know that she loved her job, she was a workaholic and it was very difficult for her to leave her career as a lawyer. She knows that she will die, there is no cure for this disease. At the begging she does not accept her disease and she is bad with other people, her family, but she realises that she can not loose the time which is very precious. Sometimes, she thinks about suicide, but she is waiting for one sign which will indicate her that her state is bad and after that sign, then she will suicide next birthday.

One day in the supermarket she cannot control her bladder and she peed. The scene is witnessed by a little boy and his mom. Mom helps her cover the stain on light leggings. That day Mara decides that this is the sign. As it happens, for 5 days she will have her birthday. There are 5 days left, 5 days of life because she does not want to break the promise she made to herself.

She has a lot of memory trouble, so she writes everything she has to do before she dies. She says goodbye to everyone, of course, everything by steal. She secretly writes letters to parents, daughter and husband. This is surprising, but she manages to complete all the tasks from the list. I have to tell you that this book does not have a happy ending, Mara will commit suicide so that not to expose her family to the obligation to care for a sick person who will not understand anything and not react.

This book is sad, all the events are sad. But it is very interesting, touching and it shows that you should enjoy the life, the family, everything. This book impressed me and I think that I will read this book one more time, but I don't yet know when. I strongly recommend you this beautifully written book.

There is another story in this book and I will tell you about it next time.