Reviewed By Jeanice Hansen, LCSW, OSW-C 

Mirrors & Windows: Reflections on the Journey in Serious Illness Practice. Edited by Terry Altilio and others. December 2023.
ISBN-13: 979-8370034343 

This self-published book is a collection of personal narratives written from the perspective of primarily palliative care social workers who observed themselves and the lived experience of colleagues, patients and families facing the reality of death due to a life-limiting disease, often cancer, and during the COVID pandemic. These stories take place in a variety of settings and readily draw us in, often inspiring us to recall similar experiences of our own whether we called ourselves oncology social workers, palliative care social workers, or hospice social workers – or those of us who also survived the loss of someone we loved. Powerful, inspiring, humbling and frustrating. Each one illuminates how this work can be so hard and yet so holy at the same time – revealing why we do this work and why we stay (or leave). 

All these stories convey how much we learn from witnessing this journey with our patients, families, colleagues and ourselves along the way. They include opportunities for humor, wisdom and the indomitable spirit to shine. As is often the case, many of the writers realize that much of this was learned after graduate school by living through the challenges of broken systems, social injustice, lingering questions about our purpose and effectiveness, and the existential crisis of lives often cut short too soon. Humility, humanity and humanness are all exposed in honest, authentic reflections about the impact of this work. Most of it is uplifting but this book does not exclude the hard parts. These reflections remind us that we often carry pieces of our patients with us, in addition to the pieces of ourselves that we leave with them. Parts of ourselves that feel deeply inspired, grateful and broken at times – sort of like a mosaic of different colors and pieces of glass that both serve as mirrors and windows into what it’s like to sit in raw, unfiltered moments, remember people who have felt marginalized or forgotten, honor lives well-lived, and grow into our profession.  

These narratives also remind us of the importance of self-care, having the community of our oncology social work colleagues, and the recognition that, like our patients, we cannot do this work alone or in isolation. So, I believe this book is very fitting to consider reading as we reflect on the last 40 years of our profession. It is one that I recommend you read in multiple sittings vs. all at once. You will relate more to some than others. The stories need time to settle into your mind and your heart, allowing you to reflect on the meaning they offer you. Let them in. Release a story of your own.