Shelia's Dying — Alden R. Carter

Grade 7-12 Sheila's Dying is a deeply moving story of the illness and death of a young girl. Sheila was orphaned as an infant and now, at 16, is dying of uterine cancer. Except for the alcoholic grandmother she lives with and cares for, Sheila is all alone. The story is told by her boyfriend, Jerry, who along with her best friend, Bonnie, assumes the responsibility of caring for Sheila until the end. The outstanding feature of this novel is its realism concerning all aspects of illness, hospital procedures, and the final stages of dying. Sheila as the dying patient is realistically portrayed not extraordinarily heroic, sometimes demanding and impossible, and at other times serenely waiting for death. Jerry, as the narrator, honestly describes the burden of the caretakers, the grief, the fatigue, the anger and resentment, the guilt. Sure to be popular with those looking for ``a sad story.''