Book Review – Mrs. Dubose's Last Wish: The Art of Embracing Suffering

Author Thomas Fellows' sophomore effort pulls from personal experience, popular culture and literature to reassure folks that, despite how painful it may be at times, suffering is not without purpose.

The book's title – taken from Harper Lee's novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” – focuses on the character of Mrs. Dubose, “whose chief concern in life – to Scout and Jem at least – seems to revolve around making their life complete hell,” Fellows writes.

However, unknown to them, the woman is battling an addiction, and her sole goal is to get clean before she dies: She willingly chooses the pain to achieve a greater good, that of breaking this addiction.

“Suffering,” Fellows notes, “isn't easy and choosing to suffer is even harder. But in life, we must choose to suffer if we ever want anything accomplished.”

Ultimately, suffering can become a transformative agent, because we focus less on the pain and more on what we gain from the journey itself.

The author embraces a spiritual outlook on suffering, which puts the journey into clearer perspective as it helps us understand how our reaction to suffering becomes more important than the suffering itself because it presents us with a means for growth.

Or, as Fellows writes: “It’s how we react to that suffering that separates the winners from the losers.”

This 134-page book also includes a key thought regarding the message of each chapter, presented in a manner that is easy to grasp by the reader.

Proceeds from the book’s sales will benefit the National Alliance for Mental Health.

Thomas Fellows, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, resides in Houston, where he is in technology sales.