In this case, it's not cancer but a terrible accident, which leaves Will Traynor, a wealthy, active, thirty five year go getter a quadriplegic. He has spent the past two years in bed, unable to move, to feed or clean himself, totally dependent on his care givers for support, not the kind of life anyone would want, especially someone like Will who has led, up to the accident, an adventurous, full life. His family has had trouble keeping care givers. As a result, Will's mother, out of desperation, hires a local, middle class girl, Louisa Clark, with no experience other than working as a waitress at a tea shop for the past four years that has recently lost her job because of tea shops closing. She's everything that Will is not---insular, uneducated, inexperience and innocent, with no idea of life outside her small town. Thus she at first produces anger in Will, as he sees her for what she is, a total waste, alive but dead to the world that he so loved, so much wishes he had. As they become more comfortable with each other, he slowly changes, realizes that beneath this seemingly silly girl is someone with gifts and potential, hidden by her humble upbringing and inexperience. He mocks her, prods her, tells her what she's miss and at first, she rebels, even wants to quit. But she perseverses, begins to listen to Will, takes up going to the library, begins to read, and slowly her true self begins to unfold. She has been hired for only six months, supposedly as a test. But she overhears Will's parents talking and finds out that Will had tried to kill himself, been rescured by his parents and has given them six months before he vows to go tot Switzerland, where he will be allowed to end his life. Thus, Louisa or Lou, is their final attempt to make Will see his life is worth living. She takes this as a challenge, and vows to make Will see life. She does research, talks with other quadriplegic's on lien, finds out things they can do, and opens Will to all sorts of life outside of his room. He reluctantly goes along, to concerts, horse races, and even enjoys a few. And during this period, the two develop an intimacy unlike any either has ever had before. Lou ends up leaving her boy friend of seven years because she spends so much time trying to help Will to believe in life. Her last chance is foiled by his coming down with pneumonia but he recovers enough for the two to take a ten day trip to Mauritius, where they both luxuriate on the beach, enjoy the sun, and Will seemingly begins to change.
Then tension in the book revolves around whether Will sticks to his vow to commit suicide in Switzerland or allow his relationship with Lou to give him something worth living. And we don't find out until the end of the book, so I won't tell you. The book, despite being weepy and a romance, deals with 'big questions,' among them whether one has the right to end his life. I really liked this book I hate to admit, as I did The Fault In The Stars, another tear jerker.
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