The Big Sick meets Dad is Fat in this funny and heartfelt New York Times bestselling memoir from writer, director, wife, and mother, Jeannie Gaffigan, as she reflects on the life-changing impact of her battle with a pear-sized brain tumor. In 2017, Jeannie’s life came to a crashing halt when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor. As the mother of 5 kids — 6 if you include her … As the mother of 5 kids — 6 if you include her husband — sat in the neurosurgery department in star-covered sweats too whimsical for the seriousness of the situation, all she could think was “Am I going to die?”
Thankfully, Jeannie and her family were able to survive their time of crisis, and now she is sharing her deeply personal journey through this miraculous story: the challenging conversations she had with her children; how she came to terms with feeling powerless and ferociously crabby while bedridden and unable to eat for a month; and how she ultimately learned, re-learned and re re-learned to be more present in life.
With sincerity and hilarity, Jeannie invites you into her heart (and brain) during this trying time, emphasizing the importance of family, faith and humor as keys to her recovery and leading a more fulfilling life. n life.
With sincerity and hilarity, Jeannie invites you into her heart (and brain) during this trying time, emphasizing the importance of family, faith and humor as keys to her recovery and leading a more fulfilling life. ity, Jeannie invites you into her heart (and brain) during this trying time, emphasizing the importance of family, faith and humor as keys to her recovery and leading a more fulfilling life.more
I had no idea Jeannie, who is comedian Jim Gaffigan’s wife, was also so much involved in his work and shows, nor that they had produced together, et cetera. I had only read Jim’s book, and I found out about him through a freebie in our truck, some comedy radio. He was one of our favorites, and I can just picture Jim and Jeannie together now, especially because of this book. I enjoyed getting to know her and her family so much better, and this book really does make you take another look and give some more thanks for all the blessings God has given you. It also encourages you to do hard things and stick to them, and to evaluate your priorities and schedule, just in case your too might need some rearranging. I especially enjoyed reading this book while at home during the coronavirus, and I had been waiting on it on the “on holds” list from our library for about seven months, so that probably made me cherish the laughter, woes and roller-coaster, as well as antics with her kids (we only have two) that much more. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends! You’ll especially enjoy this book if you are a female, and especially a mom.
I am a fan of Jim Gaffigan and became aware of this book on Sunday Morning show. I was not sure what to expect given the gravity of the story line. But let me tell you this book is wonderful. The audio book is read by Jeannie and her sister with Jim thrown in. The book is touching and funny both in wonderful ways.
/ 5
I absolutely loved When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Family, Faith, and Funny People by Jeannie Gaffigan, and if you can I highly recommend listening to it on audiobook!
Jeannie Gaffigan is definitely one badass woman, and I loved listening to her story. The book touches on everything from family to faith, and she talks about what happened from before she found out about the tumor to her recovery process. I listened to the audiobook which has a forward by Jim Gaffigan and is read by both Jeannie and her sister Liz since her voice isn’t back to normal. I can only imagine how difficult it was for her to talk for hours just to record this book, and how exhausting it must have been. Her recovery process was no joke and I was deeply moved by everything she had to go through.
I love Jim Gaffigan and now I love Jeannie just as much after this incredibly personal story. When Life Gives You Pears also talks about how they met which I absolutely loved. I really like knowing more about them and their family, and this book was really touching. Although it does talk about faith, it doesn’t overpower the book so if you aren’t a believer you should still enjoy it.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Un Lugar Celestial (A Heavenly Place) by Jaci Velasquez
Final Thought: I could literally just spew wonderful things about this book all day long, but I will wrap this up. When Life Gives You Pears is full of humor and heart, and you will definitely shed a few tears. Jeannie’s positivity is truly an inspiration, and if you are a fan of the Gaffigan’s this is definitely going to be a must read/listen!
This is the story of the author after she discovered she had a pear sized tumor in her brain. While it was benign, it still needed to come out immediately because of the damage it was causing. She talks about the symptoms she had that lead to the discovery, and how her recovery was after. How she changed her whole outlook on her life after her diagnosis and survival.
This was a fantastic book. I am a huge Jim Gaffigan fan – I watch all of his stand up shows, and he is the funniest clean comic there is. Hands down. I had heard about Jeannie’s tumor through one of his specials, and when this book came out, I knew I had to get it. It gave me even more insight into what went on with her and how this family banded together when Jeannie had a trach and a feeding tube, and couldn’t eat anything by mouth for months. It was a great reminder of how we always sweat the small stuff, and how quickly our lives can be turned upside down. How worrying about the little things seem so much less important when you are facing the chance of dying. Jeannie used this tumor as a second chance to make changes in her life.
I highly reommend this one. She is genuine, and forth coming and honest about her plight, and how she dealt with this upheaval to her life. Get it now.