Description
**Publishers Weekly Book Life Editor's Pick**
We all hope to grow old with dignity and some joyfulness. The intimate narratives of 40 extraordinary elders shared in I'll Fly Away explore both the challenges of aging and the joys and vibrancy that often persist in the twilight years. Poignant observations of the patients and families by a team of health professionals intersecting daily at the Center for Elders' Independence in Oakland, California, reveal the complexities of aging, identity, amid the assertive persistence of the human spirit.
From a couple's summer drive across the Arizona desert to a family's struggle with mental illness to patients' romantic escapades, each tale offers a unique glimpse into the resilience of individuals facing profound transitions and prompts questions about our collective responsibility to our elders.
Though this book is valuable for medical and public health professionals, it especially offers families kinship, support, and inspiration. For patients and readers in general, I'll Fly Away champions the idea that every one of us is a unique person with needs, wants, and a voice that is discoverable and deserves to be heard. It embodies the notion that every life is a story, and every voice matters.
Marc Sapir, a retired primary care, geriatric and public health physician, is an essayist and political activist. He was first Medical Director of the Center for Elders' Independence for disabled elders for 9 years. He is author of five plays, and also writes fiction, poetry, and music. He lives in Berkeley, CA.
Product Details
| Publisher | Stories about Amazing Disabled Elders |
| Publish Date | May 13, 2025 |
| Pages | 256 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9798990229310 |
| Dimensions | 8.5 X 5.5 X 0.5 inches | 0.7 pounds |
Reviews
"Sapir's account of his stint as Medical Director of Oakland, California's Center for Elders' Independence (CEI) swells with powerful anecdotes of the program's participants, aiming for a 'bird's-eye view of death and dying within a supportive community for disabled elders.' Sapir shares both the medical and emotional aspects of elderly patients facing illness, pain, and death, casting their courage and wisdom as inspirational testimony-often in contrast to his own inclinations as a trained physician. Some, like Ara Belle Kingsby, opt out of medical care and request palliative treatment only, while others waver in their decision to die-especially when in great pain. Of all the moving portraits in the book, several linger: Cornelio, who rejected dialysis and welcomed death; Curtis accidentally setting himself on fire while trying to smoke; Paul Dudock's yearning for family; Locario's poignant wish to go back to his home country; Gus, with his beautiful gospel singing voice, irritated when identified by others as white due to his fair complexion, who 'liked to wander the highways and byways, without a defined goal'; and Stevie, ever 'proud of his days as a hustler and street soul.' Each story affirms Sapir's opening declaration of the 'enriching, surprising, meaningful, and sometimes confounding experiences' he encountered during his time at CEI."-Publishers Weekly Book Life (Editor's Pick!)
"A compassionate combination of end-of-life storytelling and medical reporting, I'll Fly Away: Stories About Amazing Disabled Elders by Marc Sapir is an affirming collection of stories and essays centered on the myriad experiences of disabled seniors."-Self-Publishing Review
"'I'll Fly Away, ' a 1929 song, is about freedom; it's also the title of Marc Sapir's beautiful book about 40 people approaching the end of life. Using the wisdom gained from the patient-doctor relationship and a Janus-like understanding of crossroads, we learn how looking back informs the road moving toward death."-John Swartzberg, MD, FACP, University of California Berkeley's School of Public Health. Chair, Editorial Board, UC Berkeley Wellness Letter
"Could the lives of 40 disabled oldsters in a geriatric program make interesting reading? 'Interesting' is an understatement. These stories are fascinating. From end-of-life tales, demented women engaged in sex, a man on oxygen lighting himself up with a cigarette, a Mexican American family trying to remove their mother from control by their schizophrenic brother, a 99-year-old couple attempting to drive across the Arizona desert in midsummer without air-conditioning, each person's tale is unique, carefully told by Dr. Marc Sapir who unfolds the complexity and humanity of the program's charges."-Anthony Somkin MD, medical director RotaCare West Contra Costa
"Dr. Sapir discusses complex and difficult decisions that must be made and the challenging social contexts with kindness and insight." -Khati Hendry MD, former medical director Clinica de la Raza Oakland, CA and the East Bay Community Health Center Network
"A collection of wonderful real-life stories on aging. Marc vividly portrays a complex series of human emotions, struggles, conflict, interactions, and relationships." -Thomas Irungu MD, MPH, medical director Sentara Health Plans, VA
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