Death is something we all have to face, yet few of us truly understand it until it’s at our doorstep. Going Home by Margaret Mayer Simon takes readers on an intimate journey through the final moments of life, offering a deeply personal and profoundly moving look at what it means to say goodbye. As a hospice nurse for over a decade, Simon has seen firsthand the beauty, heartbreak, and unexpected moments of grace that come at the end.
This book isn’t about death in the way we usually think of it—it’s about life, the connections we make, and the ways we prepare for our final journey. Through a collection of short stories drawn from real experiences, Going Home paints a picture of what it’s like to be with someone in their last days. Some moments are peaceful, some are filled with last-minute revelations, and some are simply raw. But all of them show the unbreakable thread of human connection, even in the face of the inevitable.
“Phillip continued to decline over the next three hours and suddenly he opened his eyes, had a look of shock on his face, “I can see, Emma, I can see you, Emma, your blue dress, your green.” With that he was gone. His body relaxed—his heart stopped—his breathing ceased. Emma told me the green he never finished was referring to her green eyes that he always teased her about from the moment they met. With a smile on her face and tears rolling down her cheeks she sat at the bedside holding his hand until the undertaker came, not wanting to let go.
-An excerpt from the book
At its heart, Going Home is about more than just the process of dying. It’s about how people live right up until their last breath. It’s about the things they say, the people they see, and the moments that give them peace. In Phillip’s story, we see the profound power of love and memory—how even in his last moments, he reached out for the person who had meant the most to him. His final words weren’t just about regaining his vision; they were about seeing what truly mattered one last time.
What makes this book so powerful is how it captures the deeply human side of dying. There’s something incredibly moving about the way people reflect on their lives as they approach the end. Simon shows how, in those last moments, it’s not wealth, accomplishments, or regrets that fill a person’s mind—it’s the people they loved. The book reminds us that, no matter how much time we have, the relationships we build are what truly define us.
Beyond the personal stories, Going Home also provides an insightful look into the role of hospice care. Simon shares her experiences not just as a nurse, but as someone who walked alongside families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. She writes about the delicate balance between providing medical care and offering emotional support, and how every person she cared for left an imprint on her own journey. Through these stories, she shows the importance of treating death not as something to fear, but as a natural, even sacred part of life.
Margaret Mayer Simon spent over 47 years in the medical field, with the last decade of her career dedicated to hospice care. Through her work, she witnessed firsthand the final moments of hundreds of patients, guiding both them and their families through the transition from life to death. Her experiences have shaped not only her understanding of mortality but also her appreciation for the small, everyday moments that make life meaningful.
With Going Home, she offers a deeply personal collection of stories that bring warmth, honesty, and comfort to a topic that is often avoided. Her writing is not clinical or detached—it’s compassionate, filled with the kind of wisdom that only comes from truly listening to those at the end of their journey.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to witness the final moments of life up close, Going Home is a must-read. It’s a book that doesn’t just tell stories—it makes you think about your own. It’s a reminder to cherish the time we have, to love fully, and to embrace the journey, wherever it may lead.
Now available at Kravitz and Sons Bookstore. Grab your copy today and experience a book that will stay with you long after the last page.
Going Home
Going Home is a collection of narrative short stories and accounts of the journey from life and through death–“their final chapters”–of a number of patients, family members, and close friends as I experienced it with them and their families. A person’s date of birth is the beginning chapter, and death is the ending of the last chapter. Each story is unique and different as to what people may say, hear, see, or do at the moment of death and their entrance into eternity–their final home. Hopefully, the stories will help people understand and show the readers that the journey from…