The Last Pilgrimage

April 15, 2013
Philanthropist and environmental activist Daly writes about her spiritual search as she shared her mother's courageous 4-year battle with the ravages of pancreatic cancer. Before her diagnosis in 2006, the author's mother, Nancy Daly--former first lady of Los Angeles during her husband Dick Riordan's eight years as mayor--was a charismatic celebrity in her own right. She was a larger-than-life figure who was chair of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a prominent activist on behalf of abused children. In her early 60s, she was "at the top of her game...a beautiful, happy, selfless and extremely well dressed woman, busy doing exciting things." Though her mother took the diagnosis in stride, for the author, it was terrifying. After surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission and Nancy gamely resumed her normal schedule of activities despite a regimen of medications. In 2007, the cancer metastasized, and her health deteriorated rapidly. Nonetheless, she maintained an upbeat attitude, resuming chemotherapy and palliative treatment. Daly writes of her own struggle to master her fear and pain as she faced the reality of her mother's worsening condition and the need to overcome her continued psychological dependency on her. When it became clear that the cancer was spreading throughout her body, Nancy turned to alternative medicine and a Brazilian faith healer, John of God, in hopes of a cure. In a last-ditch effort, mother and daughter traveled across the country to meet the faith healer. Nancy died peacefully in the back seat of an RV during the journey back to Los Angeles. The author, a convert to Judaism with a profound connection to nature, writes movingly of her spiritual journey as she faced the need to establish an independent identity. A daughter's tender tribute to a remarkable mother.

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2013
Daly's mother, Nancy, was highly regarded in the cultural and philanthropic arenas of L.A. When she was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, her busy life slowed considerably as she began chemotherapy and radiation. But she stubbornly insisted on taking her own approach to dealing with her illness, making only marginal adjustments for better nutrition and rest. Nancy beat the odds, surviving for three years until the torturous decline, when Daly searched desperately for a miracle through clinical trials, experimental treatments, and, finally, a visit to Brazilian healer John of God during his residence in the U.S. Daly packed up her mother for a journey from L.A. to upstate New York in search of a miracle for Nancy and spiritual clarity for herself. Her brothers later joined her for the road trip home as they came to terms with Nancy's impending death. Daly offers a beautifully written and compelling account of a struggle with illness that showed all the fault lines in the mother-daughter relationship as they embarked on a roller coaster of treatments, setbacks, minor miracles, and the final descent.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)