Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver

Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver by Rachel Michelberg

Release: May 13th 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: She Writes Press
Source: Suzy approved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N

Rachel likes to think of herself as a nice Jewish girl, dedicated to doing what’s honorable, just as her parents raised her to do. But when her husband, David, survives a plane crash and is left with severe brain damage, she faces a choice: will she dedicate her life to caring for a man she no longer loves, or walk away?

Their marriage had been rocky at the time of the accident, and though she wants to do the right thing, Rachel doesn’t know how she is supposed to care for two kids in addition to a now irrational, incontinent, and seizure-prone grown man. And how will she manage to see her lover? But then again, what kind of selfish monster would refuse to care for her disabled husband, no matter how unhappy her marriage had been? Rachel wants to believe that she can dedicate her life to David’s needs, but knows in her heart it is impossible.

Crash tackles a pervasive dilemma in our culture: the moral conflicts individuals face when caregiving for a disabled or cognitively impaired family member.

About the Author:

Rachel Michelberg grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and still enjoys living there with her husband, Richard, and their two dogs, Nala and Beenie. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from San Jose State University, and has performed leading roles in musicals and opera from Carmen to My Fair Lady, as well as the part of the Mother Abbess (three times!) in The Sound of Music. When Rachel isn’t working with one of her thirty voice and piano students, she loves gardening, hiking, and making her own bone broth. Crash is her first book. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA. https://rachelmichelbergauthor.com/.

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Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver Review:

“Crash” is probably one of the most interesting unique memoirs I have read recently because of its unusual subject matter.

I’ll be honest; Initially, I wouldn’t say I liked Rachel. I felt she came across as self-centered and annoyed that she wanted to see Mike when David was in a critical state in the hospital. There were moments when Rachel admitted that she is not fond of her children too. As the story started, I wondered if I would enjoy the story, not liking the main character. However, my iciness towards Rachel thawed as the story progressed, and I started to root for her. There are moments where I felt terrible for the guilty and remorse she goes through. She has to deal with characters like Diane, Gabi, and Dora, and it was interesting to see how she spun their abuse positively.

The author writes each chapter in a compelling yet straightforward manner where something new happens to each character. Some of the memorable moments in the story for me were when she gets a call from Diane or when she finds out what someone wrote on her lawn. The author makes the story intense at times, like when Rachel tells Dora about David or when Gabi enters the picture, and you don’t know how she would strike next. Similarly, there are also moments where I felt I learned something new, like Rachel’s sessions with Nancy over her feelings for David to understand them, or the exciting life at NCS and, for instance, the structured process of shampooing. On a side note, I also enjoyed inserts of Hannah and Josh’s journal entries.

Overall, “Crash: How I Became a Reluctant Caregiver” turned out to be a memorable memoir with a dynamic character in the lead.