Summary

After the clinical trial begins, Kate begins writing. She tries "to say something about dying in a world where everything happens for a reason" (106). She sends a piece to the New York Times and it is published on the front page of the Sunday Review. Millions of people read it and letters to Kate start to flood in. Strangers share their stories of death, illness, and loss which are filled with fear, anger, and depression. Some people compare their circumstances to Kate's and even call her lucky for what she has or say that her circumstances are not as bad as theirs. As they read some of the letters, Kate's father admits to having prayed hundreds of times for God to take his life instead of Kate's. Many people write like family to try to comfort her, even though "their experiences tell them...