Book cover image, with a photo of a round black rock next to a small bud vase containing a single white flower with two leaves, on a plain beige table.
Cover of Love and Fear by Renshin Bunce.

Love and Fear: Stories from a Hospice Chaplain by Renshin Bunce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Zen Buddhist chaplain’s memoir, with many stories shining light on what it means to die, and some of the many different ways it can happen. Written with a gentle, understanding, open heart, and a knack for telling detail and flashes of gentle humor. Also, embedded in these many moving personal stories are some core life lessons, about the importance of connection, the power of ritual, and how love helps draw meaning out of the onrushing river of life.

ALSO: If you ever wanted to know what an exorcism performed by a Zen priest might look like, this book has an amazing account.