In this poignant and beautifully written story, Nick Taylor tells of an encounter we all dread but someday will contend with: seeing our parents to the ends of their lives. For him, it is a journey of discovery of the meaning of his parents' lives and of just how deep his love for them is.

We get to know John and Clare Taylor as they move from Florida to Mexico and back to Florida in their retirement, fending off the illnesses that eventually will claim them. The Taylors are good company: colorful, opinionated, and occasionally maddening to their son Nick, who recognizes their need for him with a mixture of love, irritation, and guilt. He knows their vulnerability as they confront the inevitable, and he shares their passage, giving us a kind of dress rehearsal for what we, too, will face

1. Comforting, moving, even inspirational, A Necessary End has the simple beauty of a classic, one of those special books that give meaning to common experience.