2019 INDIES Book of the Year Award !

Dear readers and friends,

Foreword Reviews, a book review journal focusing on independently published books, announced the winners of its INDIES Book of the Year Awards today. The INDIES recognize the best books published in 2019 from small, indie, and university presses, as well as self-published authors.

Present Through The End won the 2019 Indies Book Award! It received the Silver medal in the category of grief and grieving.

Over 2,100 entries were submitted in 55 categories, with Foreword’s editors choosing approximately 9 finalists per genre. Those finalist books were then mailed to individual librarians and booksellers tasked with picking the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners.

It’s my first medal. I have never been good at sports. Feel (almost) like an Olympian champion.

Deep gratitude to everyone who made this book happen. Writing this book, I had so many caring companions along the way. A deep bow with love and tenderness to the many people who allowed me to be there through their time of dying and their families and friends.

May the award help to put this small companion book into the hands of anyone who is journeying alongside a person they love.

Kirsten DeLeo, author of Present Through The End. A Caring Companion’s Guide For Accompanying The Dying (Shambhala Publications) and faculty of Authentic Presence, authentic-presence.org