Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son's Memoir

In this personal account, the author, the son of the writer Susan Sontag, recounts his mother’s final battle with cancer and what it was like for him to watch her die as she struggled with her own fear and denial of death. Rieff also explores the role and professional lives of cancer physicians, and how they deal with terminally ill patients. Rieff is a contributing writer to The New York Times and the author of seven other books.