Death and Other Happy Endings

May 1, 2019
When 43-year-old Jennifer's doctor gives her only three months to live, she resolves to write candid letters to the three people who broke her heart, standing up for herself at last. Devastated by the diagnosis of a mysterious blood disorder (Jennifer herself only catches the suffix "-osis"), she confides in her best friend, Olivia, who encourages Jennifer to take this last chance to really open her heart. So letters go out to Andy, Jennifer's philandering ex-husband, who left her for another woman while Jennifer was still reeling from a miscarriage; Harry, the ex-boyfriend who restored Jennifer's trust in men only to pull the rug out from under her again when he, too, cheated on her; and Isabelle, her older sister, who stole from Jennifer everything from wallpaper patterns to lovers. Almost immediately upon deciding to tell off the loved ones who wronged her, Jennifer casts further caution to the wind, impulsively kissing and falling into the arms of a handsome stranger she meets in the park. The contrast is a relief--from the first page of this, her debut novel, Cantor sets up Jennifer as a funny, compassionate, yet deeply wronged woman who does not deserve these horrible people in her life, much less her death sentence. But Jennifer fails to give the handsome stranger her phone number, choosing instead to tie up the loose ends of her life. And here is where Cantor's conceit hits pay dirt: Even though Andy, Harry, and Isabelle seize the opportunity to reconcile with Jennifer, no fairy-tale endings ensue because these cads remain as flawed and self-centered as ever. And when Jennifer's diagnosis alters, she has the chance to transform her life entirely. A brisk, witty tale of saving your life by finding your voice.

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May 6, 2019
Cantor’s accomplished debut tracks one woman’s reaction to a fatal prognosis. Jennifer Cole, 43, has been told by her doctor that she has an “osis”—Jennifer won’t speak the full name of the disease, but it’s a blood disorder that will take her life in three months. At her best friend Olivia’s suggestion, Jennifer contacts three people who have become detached from her life: her snarky sister, Isabelle; her philandering ex-husband, Andy; and her (also philandering) ex-boyfriend, Harry. Stepping far outside her comfort zone of passivity, Jennifer writes each of them a letter telling them of her prognosis and laying her hurt feelings bare, and she’s surprised by the amount of time that passes before any of them respond. She finally hears from Isabelle, and the sisters find a closeness they never knew would be possible. Harry does call, bringing the possibility of reignited love, and when Andy finally comes around, Jennifer learns just how relieved she is that he’s her ex. Twists push the story in intriguing directions, and the clever, personable voice of Jennifer is like that of a witty friend with a bad news/good news story to tell, resulting in a moving novel with a surprisingly playful edge.

June 1, 2019
Jennifer has been told she has just three months to live because of a rare blood disorder. At the prompting of her best friend, she writes three letters. One is to her sister, Isabelle, with whom she has mostly been at odds. Another is to ex-husband Andy and his new wife. And the third is to former lover Harry. The letters, besides providing some catharsis, offer ways to reevaluate each relationship. Jennifer finds common ground with Isabelle, she lets go of regrets about her marriage, and she rekindles her romance with Harry, who gallantly offers to stay by her side until the end. And because it's "time for a little bit of crazy," she does things she has never done before?has sex with a total stranger on Hampstead Heath, for one. As hinted by the title, this isn't really a novel about death, and readers shouldn't pick it up (or avoid it) expecting something grim. Instead, it's a novel about self-discovery, with plenty of surprises and a snappy, Bridget-Jones-gets-a-terminal-diagnosis vibe.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)