Seize the Day

Marie de Hennezel

Marie de Hennezel is a gifted psychologist who works as part of a remarkable team of doctors and nurses in a hospital for the terminally ill. In this eloquent book, she shares her unique perspective on what life and death really mean — and explores how talking about death, and facing up to it, can actually help us to lead more abundant lives.

The men and women who come to the palliative-care unit do not always know that they are dying. It is de Hennezel’s aim to bring them and their loved ones to this knowledge, and then to encourage them to live each day as fully and serenely as possible. Through her insight and humanity, and the unforgettable people she helps, we learn how precious the final days of a person’s life can be and how deeply moving it is to share these moments with someone else.

In an age where people hesitate to talk about dying, Seize the Day lends us the strength to confront the mysteries of death, gives us hope, and celebrates the courage of the human spirit.

Marie de Hennezel

Marie de Hennezel is an esteemed psychologist and psychotherapist entrusted with the mission of raising palliative-care awareness by the French ministry of health. She is the author of two ministerial reports about caring for those with terminal illnesses, and has written nine books about the end of life, including The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting.