Debra Samson

Between Debra Samson

Advance praise from Publishers Weekly (five stars): ?The author examines death and dying with rare grace in this intelligent novel. Drawing on the insights of Buddhism, holistic medicine and modern researchers like Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the author has crafted a provocative story.? Barbara Sue Herbert spent most of her life in the between?what Tibetan Buddhists call the time after death and before rebirth. Her miserable childhood segued into an unhappy marriage, and for years she limped along with a deadened spirit and devalued self-image. When she divorces her philandering hunk of a husband it unexpectedly triggers a transformation, and Barbara is reborn as an independent woman, a successful professional and beloved teacher. She is finally on her way to a whole and happy life. Through it all is her lifelong friend Carolyn who, from junior high, has recognized the true brilliance in Barbara. When Barbara is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 42, Carolyn takes her into her home?but it?s not just to give her a place to die. She surrounds Barbara with love, comfort and the singular joy of friendship, helping her really live before she enters the next between.