We make meaning of illness, suffering, and death through narrative, by telling a story. In this article, the authors explore narrative and palliative care: how, at the end of life, narratives of patients, caregivers, and clinicians serve to connect to those still living, and how through each telling and listening, we honor and validate the experience of suffering. A discussion of narrative competence and the skills of attention, representation, and affiliation is followed by an outline of the format for a narrative medicine workshop and a detailed analysis of an experiential exercise in close reading and reflective writing.

Many patients and caregivers navigate illness alone. Their isolation can stem from the intrinsic experience of illness or arise in relation to the wider society's lack of support. Reading illness memoirs is one way to explore how individuals deal with isolation. My goal is to present the compelling voices of particular patients and caregivers with the hope that readers might listen, connect and be moved to build communities of caring.

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