I Wrote My Own Eulogy: The Art of Appreciating Your Own Life (Bradley Dryburgh, S&S)

Bradley Dryburgh has done more than write his own eulogy: he has created a memento mori – a reminder of mortality – despite being one of the last people who personally needs it. I Wrote My Own Eulogy: The Art of Appreciating Your Own Life is about a man determined to live fully, rather than being defined by death’s shadow. It’s a premise that could easily slip into sentimentality, but what makes it work is Dryburgh’s genuineness. Born with cystic fibrosis, Dryburgh has faced more life-threatening conditions and physical challenges before the age of 30 than most people will in a lifetime. He runs marathons while battling lung diseases, starts businesses and falls in love. He keeps the reader close throughout, moving through childhood to adulthood, writing with disarming honesty. As an author, Dryburgh is funny without overdoing it, insightful without slipping into toxic positivity, and vulnerable without tipping into cliché. This isn’t a sickly-sweet story; he seems almost incapable of writing one. Instead, he uses his unmistakable voice to show that most of life exists beyond his illness, defined by love and achievement rather than overshadowed by the condition others might focus on first. Dryburgh went viral after reading his own eulogy on his podcast A Lot to Talk About; this book deserves similar attention. For readers who enjoyed Dylan Alcott’s Able or Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Becca Whitehead is a features and content writer based in Naarm-Melbourne. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews