Lessons from a Bedside: Wisdom For Living

by Breda Casserly

WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY - from the moment we are born to the final minutes before our death. But as we live our busy lives, we oftentimes ignore the inner hurts and pain we may be carrying.
In Lessons from a Bedside, Breda Casserly, a healthcare chaplain at the Galway Hospice Foundation, shares the wisdom she's learned from her patients as she's journeyed with them through serious, often terminal, illness.
Here are stories of self-acceptance, grief, forgiveness and memory inspired by the people Breda has met over the course of her work, along with her own story of coming to terms with personal loss. Told with simplicity and compassion, Lessons from a Bedside is a book of love, spirituality and humanity which shows us paths to healing.

257 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Mie Sørensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get what the author was trying to do, but the good messages are overshadowed by all the religious propaganda.

[Niamh♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course this is a very specifically themed book, so, the stories were so touching and real.

I did find it a tiny bit too high level though, such as how can we go deeper while respecting individuals names and privacy.
The talk of soul pain and healing it, I would have liked more "self help" on what does it look like to go there, face such challenges in reality. Otherwise, I can truly say this hospice sounds like it does amazing work and this kind of end of life care is so full of dignity and love.

[Ellen Anita Trovaag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons from a Bedside is an important and deeply moving book that stayed with me long after I turned the final page. It gently and powerfully illuminates the often overlooked dimension of spiritual grief and pain, the kind that cannot be measured, but profoundly shapes our experience of illness, loss, and love.

This book taught me that tending to spiritual suffering is just as essential as addressing physical pain. It reveals how, even in the final stages of life, there can be profound growth, clarity, reconciliation, and meaning. In the presence of death, life’s deepest lessons often emerge.

A compassionate, wise, and necessary read for anyone who has accompanied a loved one through serious illness, or who seeks to better understand the sacred space between living and letting go.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of beliefs and musings from someone working with death and care all the time. Uplifting, heartbreaking, hopeful and hopeless in equal measure. Well worth reading especially for someone who has experienced loss recently.

[R Hakim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by conveying my deep appreciation to Casserly for authoring such a book and including extracts from Rumi's bibliography and the pieces of the patients' writings whenever possible. The book grounded me and made me see sense and humility in all things, more than I usually do.
On a personal level, I have a friend studying to become a priest. They have internships at churches, hospitals, orphanages, and any other places where they are of need. It was one of my reasons for picking up this book. I think when the time comes, my conversations with my friend are going to be more meaningful and wholesome. I'm sure, I will think back of my time with the book and smile, being grateful that it made its way from Ireland to Armenia.

For the most part, the book was enjoyable and informative, depending on how you perceive things. However, I could not help but notice that the whole body of pages felt like a long advertisement for the Galway Hospice Foundation. Although I have no doubt that the foundation itself executes an outstanding performance, need I suggest a brochure? Going back to what I said about humility and feeling grounded, I think that such a book should be more about the patients' stories and the lessons left behind by the departed. I swear, if you remove all the information about their foundation, the book would be 50 pages shorter.
You can debate with me and tell me that the book already fulfills the objective it was made to achieve, and you may have a point, to some extent. I'll give you that. However, let me ask you this. What do you think was the underpinning, indirect goal of publishing this book? Telling the stories or the cash? I'll let you to your own analyses and conclusions.

As for the religious references, I did not mind them. I actually found their presence enjoyable. I believe Casserly tries to be as inclusive as possible given her position as a chaplain. What do you expect? She's included Christianity but highlights other faiths and spiritual practices as well.

Overall, I had a feeling while reading the first chapter that this book was going to be a 3-star for me. Still, I kept an open mind. Unfortunately, the ineptness outweighed any pure thought and intention. Three stars are more than what it deserves.

[Rachel Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, intimate, and full of wisdom, this book tastefully captures the stories of those at the end of life. Confronting the realities of mortality, it offers a poignant reflection on what it means to live fully while preparing to say goodbye. The narrative delicately balances grief, love, and the human condition and skilfully left me with both sorrow and a sense of peace.

[Joana Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

the most heartbreaking book i’ve read so far