Synopses & Reviews
Jenifer Estess is a woman on the verge: She's about to launch her own company; she's looking buff and dating vigorously; she's driving in the fast lane -- with the top down. At the age of thirty-five, Jenifer dreams of falling in love and starting a family. Then she notices muscle twitches in her legs. Walking down a city block feels exhausting. At first, doctors write off Jenifer's symptoms to stress, but she is quickly diagnosed with ALS, a fatal brain disease that is absolutely untreatable.
Max out your credit cards and see Paris, suggests one doctor. Instead of preparing to die, Jenifer gets busy. She dreams deeper, works harder, and loves endlessly. For Jenifer, being fatally ill is not about letting go. It's about holding on and reaching -- for family, friends, goals.
Jenifer's girlhood pact with her sisters Valerie and Meredith -- nothing will ever break us apart -- guides them as Jenifer faces down one of the most devastating illnesses known to humankind. That same enduring pact inspires the creation of Project A.L.S., a movement started by the sisters that changes the way science and medicine approach research for ALS and the related diseases Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and which has already raised more than $18 million. Will Project A.L.S. help scientists discover medicine in time for her?
Jenifer answers these questions and others in this beautifully written and wholly inspiring memoir that celebrates a life fuelled by memory. Tales from the Bed forces us to reconsider society's notion of having it all, and illustrates, more than anything, the importance of endurance, hope, and, most of all, love.
Review
"Touching and inspiring....It's like having lunch with a delightful and hilarious friend who you wish could stay on into the evening for just one more story, one more tale."
-- Sarah Jessica Parker
Review
"Even as [ALS] steals much of Jenifer away, she reaches inside and shares the best part with us."
-- Michael J. Fox
Review
"From the vantage point of her queen-size bed, Estess displays unflagging courage and wry humor."
-- Los Angeles Daily News
Review
"This gem of a book is an astonishing gift. Filled with Jenifer's singular grace and exquisite wit,
Tales from the Bed had me laughing and crying, and often at the same time."
-- Peter Hedges, author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Synopsis
Jenifer Estess is a beautiful, successful, thirtysomething New Yorker with dreams of starting her own family when she is diagnosed with ALS, a fatal disease. Doctors tell her to max out her credit cards and prepare to die. That is precisely when Jenifer starts to live -- dreaming deeper, working harder, and loving endlessly. A girlhood pact with her sisters Valerie and Meredith --
nothing will ever break us apart -- inspires Jenifer as she faces down her most vicious enemy.
Beautifully written and wholly inspiring, Jenifer's memoir forces us to reconsider society's notion of "having it all," and illustrates, more than anything, the power of memory, work, and, most of all, love.
About the Author
Jenifer Estess was the CEO and founder of Project A.L.S. She lived in New York City, where she spent her best times with Jake, Willis, Jane, James, Kate, and the rest of her family.
Reading Group Guide
ABOUT THIS GUIDE The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for discussion of Tales from the Bed. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Many fine books from Washington Square Press feature Readers Club Guides. For a complete listing, or to read the Guides online, visit http://www.BookClubReader.com
Questions and Topics for Discussion 1) Tales from the Bed allows the reader to get to know Jenifer Estess and follow her throughout the various emotions she experiences before and after being diagnosed with ALS. Do you identify with Jenifer? What are the aspects of her personality that you relate to and why?
2) Jenifer recounts her various experiences with doctors and medical professionals after being initially diagnosed. Do you think her experiences are unique? Discuss the role of the physician and other medical professionals in cases involving life-debilitating or terminal illness, such as ALS. What should be expected from health professionals on both a personal and professional level?
3) Do you think running Project A.L.S. had an impact on Jenifer's health? Discuss the role of work in maintaining a sense of well-being.
4) Discuss how Jenifer relates her childhood experiences with her experiences after being diagnosed with ALS. What are some of the lessons she draws from those experiences?
5) Jenifer employs several metaphors and similes throughout the memoir. Explain how phrases such as "The doctors invited me to a square dance" and "Piece by piece, my morning fell to the sidewalk like leaves" help tell her story. How do these literary devices help personalize the story and enhance Jenifer's personality?
6) Jenifer provides an in-depth view of her close relationships with Valerie and Meredith. Describe of their roles in their shared family history and how those roles were applied to the logistics of running Project A.L.S., as well as their support system throughout Jenifer's illness.
7) Explore Jenifer and Reed's relationship. How does the theme of romantic love figure into how Jenifer views her own illness? What does Reed symbolize to Jenifer? To the reader?
8) The theme of family is present throughout the book. Though the sisterhood shared by Valerie, Jenifer, and Meredith is thoroughly examined, there are other family members Jenifer writes about. How have these family members impacted Jenifer's life? How do her parents, other siblings, and nieces and nephews affect her outlook on life, illness, and death?
9) In recent years, A.L.S. has come to the forefront in media outlets and the scientific research community. Prior to reading Tales from the Bed, were you familiar with A.L.S. or Project A.L.S.? Discuss the impact Project A.L.S. has had on the research, and the role that stem-cell therapy may have in the future.
10) The final chapter of the book is unique. How did you feel reading it? Do you think reading the last chapter, written from Jenifer's point of view, offers some closure to her story?