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Journal Entry 1 by HoserLauren from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Saturday, March 06, 2010
 Received from Harper Collins to review.
From Chapters:
Shep Knacker discovered long ago that the same money that lasts one year in Westchester lasts ten in the Developing World. That lesson has guided him towards fulfilling the dream he calls "The Afterlife." Traffic jams on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway will be replaced with days of "talking, thinking, seeing and being"-and enough sleep. When he sells the home-repair business he built from scratch for a cool $1 million, his dream finally seems within reach.
Yet instead of The Afterlife, Shep is stuck in the present one, thanks to the footdragging of his wife, Glynis. With no exit date in sight, the 48-year-old Shep reluctantly returns as an employee to the company he founded. Angry and humiliated, he gives Glynis an ultimatum: he's leaving for Tanzania, with or without her.
Glynis, too, has news: she has cancer. Shep cannot abandon her now; in addition to his love and support, she needs his health insurance. But this "health insurance
company from hell" only partially covers the staggering bills, and suddenly this once well-off family is hurtling toward bankruptcy.
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Journal Entry 2 by HoserLauren from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Saturday, March 20, 2010
Shep Knacker has been planning his 'Afterlife' for a very long time. Ever since he was taken to Africa as a kid and realized that you can live on a couple of dollars a day, Shep made a plan to return in his adulthood and settle down. Shep sells his company and house in preparation but has to keep putting off his trip. When he finally purchases the tickets and gives the ultimatum to his wife Glynis, she can either come or stay behind, Glynis tells him she has cancer. This forces Shep to put the Afterlife on hold again, possibly forever, because Glynis needs him, his money, and his limited health insurance to live.
Shep notices that his friends start to withdraw, including his best friend Jackson. Jackson has troubles of his own though, which occupies a side story in this novel. With a child that has a rare genetic disease and a bad decision about plastic surgery, the normally vivacious Jackson starts to turn inward. Shep has to deal with this, a mooch of a sister, the failing health of his father, a kid that won't ever leave his room, and a quickly depleting bank account.
Shriver is a master character writer. Just like We Need to Talk About Kevin, each character in this novel has a major flaw. Sometimes those flaws are unforgivable and not many of the characters are sympathetic. As risky as this is, Shriver still manages to draw the reader in and keep you turning the pages quickly. Each time Beryl, the mooching sister to Shep, appeared I just wanted to reach through the pages in smack her. Even Glynis' frigid attitude made me uncomfortable.
The characters give interesting commentaries on government and specifics such as health care. What is the cost of a human life? Is there ever a right time to give up the fight against cancer and just enjoy life? The questions posed are direct and the answers are more honest than most of us ever get about these subjects. Shriver does a great job and I'm looking forward to her next work!
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Journal Entry 4 by AceofHearts at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Friday, May 28, 2010
Shep Knacker has had a dream for his 'Afterlife'. He wants to settle down in a third world country , relax and have a wonderful life on a few dollars a day. In preparation he has sold his home repair business and his house. His wife Glynis has always found reasons not to go but Shep has finally reached the end of his patience and has booked a one way ticket for his family. He is going no matter what.
On the eve of his departure Glynis returns home with devastating news. She has cancer. She needs Shep's medical insurance and his resources. Shep goes through the frustrations of dealing with doctors and their conflicting procedures which always seem to drain more and more money from his account. Shep has worked as a peon for his former company but when confronted with enormous medical bills, he is fired. Will Shep have his dream?
As a side story Shep's best friend is going through turmoils of his own: addiction, depression and a child with a disability.
This book delivers a bold statement about the health care system and the money involved and the moral issues behind it all.
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So Much For That
