Carrying the Tiger is perfect for book clubs. Here are some questions to get the discussion going.

• How did you come away feeling, after reading Carrying the Tiger? Upset? Inspired? Anxious? Less afraid?

• Is this a book you will continue thinking about? Were there passages or sentences that struck you as particularly profound or moving?

• How did Carrying the Tiger impact your thoughts about medical care? The patient-physician relationship? End of life care?

• Considering that Tony Stewart was once a filmmaker, do you see any cinematic influences in his writing style and narrative approach?

• Many people are afraid of talking about illness and dying, but Tony and Lynn were very open on these subjects. Are there topics in your life that you might now be more willing to discuss with your friends and family?

• Tony writes that he found the first year of supporting Lynn extremely difficult, to the point that he had a small breakdown. Does this resonate with you? Have you ever become so involved in doing something for someone else that you lost sight of what you needed for yourself?

• Lynn was an artist who was “never more alive than when creating a painting.” How do you think her creative drive affected her experience of living with cancer?

• Tony had a hard time accepting when it was time to stop treating Lynn’s cancer, and even tried to talk her into going back to the hospital. Has there been a time in your life when you realized afterwards that you had pushed too far?

• In the last days of her life, Lynn gave Tony permission to have another girlfriend. Then Tony met Cordelia and began a new relationship just three months after Lynn died. How do you feel about this?

• Tony coped with his stress and grief in part by journaling on Caringbridge.org. What do you think your outlet would be, if you faced a similarly challenging situation?

• The third part of the book's subtitle is “Finding Joy while Grieving.” What does that mean for you?

I love speaking about Carrying the Tiger! If you’d like to invite me to speak to your group, fill in the Contact form on this website.

Grief Support Groups

Several early readers said that reading Carrying the Tiger helped them process their own grief and loss. That was one of the main reasons I decided to publish it.

I would like to offer Carrying the Tiger to members of support groups - grief groups, cancer groups - and to the counselors who facilitate them. If you know a support group facilitator who could use Carrying the Tiger, please tell them about it, or send me a note via the Contact form. I'd be happy to give them an electronic copy of the book (eBook or PDF) at no charge.