Before I Go

By: Colleen Oakley

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne, Rebecca Lowman

“An immensely entertaining [and] moving” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) work of women’s fiction, this emotionally rich debut novel follows a young woman with terminal breast cancer who embarks on an extraordinary—and heartbreakingly human—mission to secure her husband’s future after she’s gone.

At twenty-seven, Daisy thought she had beaten breast cancer for good. On the eve of celebrating four years cancer-free with her husband, Jack, she receives devastating news: the cancer is back, and this time it’s aggressive stage four. With only months left to live, Daisy is forced to confront her mortality—but her greatest fear isn’t dying. It’s leaving behind the man she loves, a brilliant but endearingly helpless husband who has always relied on her.

Unable to rest until she knows Jack will be okay, Daisy decides she must do the unthinkable: find him another wife. With determination, humor, and aching vulnerability, she searches coffee shops, parks, and online dating sites for the woman who might one day take her place. But as Daisy’s plan grows more real, so does the emotional cost, forcing her to question whether ensuring her husband’s happiness means sacrificing her own.

Tender, funny, and profoundly heartfelt, this novel explores love, marriage, mortality, and the impossible choices we make when time runs out. It’s a powerful meditation on what it means to love selflessly—and when to finally choose yourself.

Wonderful and emotional

This was a great listen! The relationship between the characters during such a tragic time is very realistic. You laugh and cry with Daisy and Jack.

it was good

I lived the book. it kept me interested and wanting to get back to to story. I was sad at the end but can't wait to read another.

fairly predictable...

I liked this book, but found it a little predictable. good to listen to while driving.

Poignant Story

After reading the summary, I was expecting a teary downer of a story, but instead found it almost uplifting, even a bit inspirational. I liked the characters and the believable way they interacted with each other. The medical scenes weren't overbearing - enough information to get the gist of what they were dealing with, but not so much that it becomes a Medical Drama. Mostly it was about how Daisy deals with her life, and her relationship with her husband (and other characters), with this new, terrible prognosis. Rebecca Lowman excels at this type of narrative, and she performs all but the last chapter.

This Book makes you FEEL!

Would you consider the audio edition of Before I Go to be better than the print version?

Absolutely! First, I am a big fan of the narrator Rebecca Lowman. She has a way of bringing the characters to life. Second, the audio version made me weep as I'd become vested in the characters. Reading it would not have gleaned the same level of emotion!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daisy...of course!