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176th out of 395 books
—
334 voters
Tales from the Bed: A Memoir
Jenifer Estess is a beautiful, successful, thirtysomething New Yorker with dreams of starting her own family when she is diagnosed with ALS, a fatal disease. Doctors tell her to max out her credit cards and prepare to die. That is precisely when Jenifer starts to live -- dreaming deeper, working harder, and loving endlessly. A girlhood pact with her sisters Valerie and Mer...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
November 15th 2005
by Washington Square Press
(first published 2004)
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Tales from the bed
Jenifer Estess and Valerie Estess
Nonfiction - Memoir
204 pages
Tales from the bed is a memoir about a woman named Jenifer Estess and has two sisters named Valerie and Meredith Estess. Jenifer is diagnosed with ALS disease. This is a very deadly disease. After testing, doctors told her to prepare to die. But Jenifer did the complete opposite, she lived. She lived for a long time after she was diagnosed from the help of her sisters, they were her everything. The quote "nothing...more
Jenifer Estess and Valerie Estess
Nonfiction - Memoir
204 pages
Tales from the bed is a memoir about a woman named Jenifer Estess and has two sisters named Valerie and Meredith Estess. Jenifer is diagnosed with ALS disease. This is a very deadly disease. After testing, doctors told her to prepare to die. But Jenifer did the complete opposite, she lived. She lived for a long time after she was diagnosed from the help of her sisters, they were her everything. The quote "nothing...more
I fell in love with Jennifer Estess and her sisters. The Estess’s sisters have a beautiful bond; always there for each other; they are an unstoppable force. Jennifer is doing what we are all doing; working, being busy, working-out, reaching for the dream, meeting up with friends and then her leg muscles begins to twitch. Jennifer, perfectly healthy was suddenly diagnosed with ALS. I did know that much about this disease prior to reading this book. The book is upbeat, a tribute to Jennifer’s life...more
This is the story of Jennifer Estess, a real person who was diagnosed with ALS, a fatal muscle wasting disease. This book got so many good reviews and people seemed to really like it, so I was somewhat surprised that my own experience wasn't better than it was.
First the good stuff: It is an easy read, but not in a way that makes the reader feel like a moron for reading it. As expected in a medical memoir, the reader gets all the little details one would not normally think about unless one had t...more
First the good stuff: It is an easy read, but not in a way that makes the reader feel like a moron for reading it. As expected in a medical memoir, the reader gets all the little details one would not normally think about unless one had t...more
While living in San Antonio I became "friends" with a woman who was in the latter stages of ALS. I would go by weekly and visit- standing at her bedside chattering about anything that came to mind- carrying on this monologue until I ran out of things to say and then I would leave. I cannot imagine now how inane all that conversation must have seemed to her- as she lay there trapped in a body that had betrayed her. Jenifer Estes also had ALS. Instead of laying down to die, she and her sisters wer...more
It has been a couple of years since I read this book but I remember I enjoyed reading it. If any of her friends or family read this review I think she was amazing to first go through what she did and second not waste a day of her life. Thank you for making this book happen.
I didn't really know what ALS was and this story really touched me. When I started my job at Carlson I found out one of my co-workers' spouse had ALS and I knew her through the last year of his life. I was so glad I had read this book so I new what she was going through.
This was a tear-jerker! This is an amazing story of how three sisters fought together to find an impossible cure for a debilitating illness. It is a story that teaches the important lessons life through a heart-wrenching tale. Keep a box of kleenex close!
This book is heartbreaking! It is a memoir written by Jenifer Estess, who died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)in 2003. She starts the book as a healthy 35 year old, active woman. As soon as she finds out she has the disease, she begins to deteriorate over the next 6 years. From shakes in her legs to being bedridden by the end, she is supported by her 2 sisters through a bond that only sisters share. Her story, though depressing, is uplifting in its own. She stresses the importance of her sisters,...more
Jenifer Estess shows us that even in the most difficult times of your life you can live and love to the fullest. We forget that our lives can change in an instant and we should live like there is no tomorrow.
I don't think the subject could be any sadder but this is not a depressing book. I found myself encouraged by the author and the fantastic ways her sisters support her. Wonderful book.
This was such a beautiful book about a woman dying of ALS. I found it incredibly moving and such a "teaching" book. Jenifer lived and died with such courage, beauty and grace. The lessons I learned were to love hard and work hard. To live with dignity and loyalty. The relationship she had with her sisters was so moving and profound. It was a reminder to me of how important my relationships with those I love should be, and that I should love them harder and better.
I'm so glad I read this book. I...more
I'm so glad I read this book. I...more
what a GREAT book. And what a sad story. It sure makes you appreciate life a lot more.
-I didn't find this book at all inspirational until the middle of the book, when the sisters started creating Project ALS. Katie Couric wrote a really nice foreword about how Jenifer was SO amazing, but I found that Jenifer was more of a pessimist about her condition. It seems like her sisters were the ones who were optimistic.
+It was interesting reading about ALS because I didn't know too much about the fatal disease.
+Reed was amazing. So sweet what he did for Jenifer!
-The ending was cheesy to...more
+It was interesting reading about ALS because I didn't know too much about the fatal disease.
+Reed was amazing. So sweet what he did for Jenifer!
-The ending was cheesy to...more
I just finished reading this book and thought it was quite the eye opener. I had heard of ALS but didn't have a clue as to how it actually affects the body and how such diagonisis is a sentence to a slow, cruel death. This story is truly inspiring, full of courage, drive and determination amist a gloomy, depressing illness that not only affects the person that has it but everyone around them. This story has the ability to change your perception of life. You can have the most crappy day in the wo...more
This is a book about Jenifer Estess' battling with ALS, a fatal disease which has know cure and no treatment.
I think Ms. Estess' was a very intelligent woman, fierce, determined and beyond sad that she befell the fate of ALS.
That being said, I did not think this book was very inspiring, funny, touching or anything else really. At no point in the book (which was transcribed the the author's sister, Valerie) did I feel like she was being honest about the suffering of ALS or giving a true-to-heart...more
I think Ms. Estess' was a very intelligent woman, fierce, determined and beyond sad that she befell the fate of ALS.
That being said, I did not think this book was very inspiring, funny, touching or anything else really. At no point in the book (which was transcribed the the author's sister, Valerie) did I feel like she was being honest about the suffering of ALS or giving a true-to-heart...more
What a wonderful and amazing, yet incredibly sad and tragic book. Before even reading it, I knew how the end would go...anyone who knows about ALS knows what the end result is..yet as I kept reading I would think "No, there has GOT to be way she gets out of the this." I also found myself almost not wanting to get to the end of the book because I knew that then the story would be over. I wanted it to keep going.
The courage Jenifer Estess exhibited throughout the course of the book was amazing. I...more
The courage Jenifer Estess exhibited throughout the course of the book was amazing. I...more
I read this books in two days. I saw a movie about Jenifer Estess in London the summer after Mom’s diagnosis. Doug had watched it before and thought I would like it. I was always a little interested in ALS since watching ‘Pride of the Yankees’ as a child. Now, my ears perked up every time I head something mentioned about the subject.
The book gave more insight into Jenifer’s personality and her relationship to two of her sisters. She had a wry sense of humor and was a magnet to everyone she met....more
The book gave more insight into Jenifer’s personality and her relationship to two of her sisters. She had a wry sense of humor and was a magnet to everyone she met....more
Loved, loved, loved this book!
I had to go on a waiting list for this book at the bookstore because they were sold out of all of their copies. I originally heard about Tales from the Bed when I saw the documentary "Three Sisters" on HBO. I was so deeply moved by the story of these three sisters (Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa) as they struggled to get answers and medical treatment for Jennifer, that I wanted more.
Jennifer Estes was struck with ALS, AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease, in the prime of her li...more
I had to go on a waiting list for this book at the bookstore because they were sold out of all of their copies. I originally heard about Tales from the Bed when I saw the documentary "Three Sisters" on HBO. I was so deeply moved by the story of these three sisters (Jennifer, Meredith and Vanessa) as they struggled to get answers and medical treatment for Jennifer, that I wanted more.
Jennifer Estes was struck with ALS, AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease, in the prime of her li...more
This is a memoir of Jenifer Estess who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) when she was 34. It's her memoir mostly of living with this disease (and dying from it) but also weaves in stories from her childhood. Her and her 2 sisters share a fierce bond that ultimately leads to them forming Project ALS, a group dedicated to funding and promoting ALS research. Although this book had me in tears, it is very much an uplifting story about strength of spirit, love and the bond of friendship.
Amazing read, read it in one day. Not at all gloomy or morbid. However, I was left frustrated and disappointed. There was too much info on her childhood and not enough on the following (1) how exactly did she remain an effective, sociable adult while facing the loss of her bodily functions each month (motor neurone disease) (2) what was her spiritual beliefs (3) did she not want to reconcile with her estranged brother and father when facing her death?
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. it didn't really grab me at any point but hearing about her struggles with ALS made the character real and heartwarming. If you have a loved one suffering from the disease I would definitely recommend reading it but it did not keep me on the edge of my seat and I did not spend time thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. That is how I measure a book. If I can't stop thinking about it after I set it down, then it's good. It was sad to read about Je...more
I enjoyed this book alot. Jenifer Estess is a young woman diagnosed with ALS. She writes this book as the illness progresses. She tells her story with wit and wisdom and insight. She tells of her dreams and her loves. Jenifer sets an example for positive endurance. Very positive book about a terrible illness. By the time I finished the book I felt like I had gained a friend and some courage.
Could have done without the flashbacks of her childhood. Found that to be irrelevant to her current condition. Otherwise decent memoir and personal experience of ALS. Also didnt find this book to be "funny" as other people described. Wasn't a fan of the writing style either-thought that Katie Curic did a better writing job in her two-page Forward.
I feel like I will be judged by saying that this book was really boring. I don't really understand what in her life was so exceptional that it was turned into a book. Maybe it's because I'm a science person and can't see how she's any different from any other person with a terminal illness. I'm not a cold person. It is sad that she passed away but the book was pretty dull.
brutally tragic yet inspiring. The social worker in me had to question how on medicaid the writer managed to maintain a choice manhattan apartment, ralph lauren sheets and private jet excursions to puerto rico; but she did amass quite a bit of funding, support, and celebrity in launching project ALS and her graceful fight to the bitter end.
Although I knew how this book would end, it still made me cry when it did. It is not the most well written book I have read, but Valerie Estess does honor the memory of her sister by writing it. I knew absolutely nothing about ALS before reading this book. It's a terrible disease. I hope they find a cure.
Found the author to be irritatingly self-centered, naive and disconnected from the reality of a terminal illness. I only got halfway through the book, and never felt that she ever gave an honest assessment or accounting of what it is truly like to have ALS. Not recommended.
I read this book about a year ago but it stands out as one of the best memoirs I've ever read. The author had ALS in her mid-thirties. Yes, it is a tear jerker but it makes you appreciate your life and realize you have very little to complain about. I loved it.
This is a fantastic account of a woman suffering from ALS - as she discovers and copes with her illness. I found it inspiring, in spite of the hopelessness of her situation. She writes and lives with a fine sense of humor and it was well worth the time to read this.
Although, I appreciated the honesty and information about ALS, the book was not very well written. I felt that the writing was disorganized. Many times, I couldn't figure out who or what she was talking about. It seemed like one continuous stream of thought. I also really didn't like the supposed viewpoint of Jenifer's after her death and what the afterlife was like.
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“Jenifer always taught me that starting a job was one thing―—and admirable―—but that following through and completing―—well, that’s where the bravery is.”
—
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May 05, 2011 05:38am