On Love and Death and Belonging — Daphne Wright

Silver Medal Winner for Fiction-Urban for the Readers' Favorite Award 2024 and 2024 WIBA Finalist On Love and Death and Belonging is a fresh, light-hearted, yet profound look at the intersection of the lives of three later-middle-aged people-a group often othered in today's society and not always included in the lexicon of contemporary novels except as bit players. Fiona, a burned-out nurse, still needing a pay cheque, counting the days to retirement. Brice, a gay man coming to terms with a diagnosis of ALS and the need for care. Adelina, marginalized and living with domestic abuse, her belief in God guides her. The impacts of aging, loneliness, isolation, invisibility, and illness leading to medical assistance in dying unite these three characters as they search for belonging. On Love and Death and Belonging gives voice to the realization that life, by its very design, doesn't always get easier. Sometimes, it's just plain hard.