On My Own

The popular NPR talk show host discusses her experiences as her husband waged a lengthy battle against Parkinson's disease. She also addresses her political advocacy for the right to a dignified medically induced death. Rehm's narration, while heartfelt, is strained at times, due to her speech impediment, spasmodic dysphonia. Some listeners may feel that the hiring of an accomplished narrator may well have improved their listening experience. On the other hand, those who enjoy Rehm's popular radio show may more fully appreciate her reminiscences and commentary, which include her successful life transitions following her husband's passing. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

December 14, 2015
Rehm (Finding My Voice), a popular National Public Radio host and author, has dedicated this heartfelt memoir to her husband, the late John Rehm, and the book speaks powerfully to those who have lost a loved one and found the strength to carry on. Rehm describes her 54-year marriage to John, a successful attorney, in honest terms. She was clearly in love with him and in awe of him, but she also admits that the marriage was not perfect. At times, her husband withdrew into silence, and the couple considered divorce. On the whole, as Rehm describes, the union was one in which love and mutual encouragement played significant parts. She writes that after her spouse was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and began to slowly decline in health, they grew even closer; she crawled into his hospital bed to tenderly read him poetry. Eventually John was severely disabled, angered and disheartened by a system that disallowed physician-assisted death in such cases, and he made the decision to end his life by refusing sustenance. Rehm is now closing in on 80, and nearing her retirement from radio. The seasoned broadcaster explores the many changes and challenges that come when a spouse dies; she shares feelings of guilt, loneliness, fear, and worry as well as acknowledging her strengths and newfound independence. Rehm’s forthright memoir, which probes the process of loss, grief, and renewal, will find a wide audience with fans of her show as well as many others facing this profound passage.