Regrets of the Dying by Georgina Scull #RegretsoftheDying @georginascull @welbeckpublish #StoriesofWisdome #BookReview

 

A powerful, moving and hopeful book exploring what people regret most when they are dying and how this can help us lead a better life.

If you were told you were going to die tomorrow, what would you regret?

Ten years ago, without time to think or prepare, Georgina Scull ruptured internally. The doctors told her she could have died and, as Georgina recovered, she began to consider the life she had led and what she would have left behind.

Paralysed by a fear of wasting what seemed like precious time but also fully ready to learn how to spend her second chance, Georgina set out to meet others who had faced their own mortality or had the end in sight.

Regrets of the Dying by Georgina Scull was published in hardback on 14 April 2022 by Welbeck.

I bought this book quite some time ago and have been dipping in and out of it for the past few months. My Mum died in March this year, and her two longest friends have both died in the past four weeks, it's been a time of loss for me, and sadness. Sometimes I found this book quite difficult to read, but on the whole, I thought it was a book that is actually life-affirming. Whilst there are some really sad recollections, it's also a book that makes the reader think about their own life, and their own decisions. 

The author was told that she could die after suffering an internal rupture. This terrified her, not surprisingly, and although she is now well again, she was determined to talk to people at the end of their lives, to ask them about any regrets that they may have. 

The stories that she recounts are wise and enlightening. There are some that resonated with me more than others; the people who are still young, but know that they will not see old age are particularly poignant, and such bravery and honesty is portrayed too. There are desperately sad stories, from people who have spent so many years looking back at decisions they made when they were younger, decisions that have impacted their lives so much. 

The author deals with each person so sensitively, relaying their thoughts just as they were spoken and giving a reader much to think about. 

An important book, a book that will make most people take stock, and look around and think hard about what we do now and how that may affect the rest of our lives. 

Georgina Scull is a writer and developer of original radio drama, film and podcasts. Georgina has been a finalist for various awards, including the Orange Prize for screenwriting.

In 2017, Georgina released the Regrets of the Dying podcast with Acast, which explored 8 stories of life, death and regrets. Georgina is currently developing a range of documentary and drama for BBC Radio, as well as a new podcast, Love Is..., which will tell extraordinary tales of friendship, family and love.

Twitter @georginascull