The Spare Room
details the three week period during which the main character, Helen takes care of her dear friend Nicola as she undergoes treatments for her stage four cancer.
Nicola has come to Melbourne to embark upon a round of treatments at an "alternative medicine" center. Treatments consist of injecting Nicola's body with massive amounts of Vitamin C and "organic" coffee enemas. Within minutes of the treatments, Nicola is in a devastating amount of pain. Helen's attempts to get Nicola to accept pain medications are often done in vain. When she does agree, she takes the smallest dose possible, for she is afraid of succumbing to the canceer. Nicola is so desperate to rid her body of the cancer that she's not taking the time to celebrate the life she had and enjoy the blessings she was given.
Helen can't help but think the treatments are doing more harm than good, but Nicola refuses to accept how terminal her case is, and continues to partake in the seemingly useless and questionable treatments. It doesn't take long for this to take a toll on Helen, both emotional and physical. She agreed to help Nicola in any way that she could, but never did she anticipate all the physical pain and emotional abuse she would have to endure. Her days and nights are spent changing endless bed linens, transporting Nicola to and from cancer treatments, and listening to her friend cry out in pain. It begins to take a toll on their relationship and Helen questions her decision to be Nicola's caregiver.
The Spare Room by Helen Garner is a short in length but is a very powerful little book. In a short span of time, it describes how cancer can effect a relationship. Garner's writing is painfully honest. Her characters are very real, almost too real at times. There were aspects about each of the characters that I liked and disliked. I commended Helen for her selflessness in agreeing to care for Nicola. At the same time, it angered me when, not a week into Nicola's stay, she begain to complain about how difficult the task was. And I commended Nicola for not giving in to her cancer, but was horrified at just how much she'd put her body through in the slight chance it might cure her of the disease. And the trust she put into this medicial center with very little proof of the treatment's effectiveness.
Now, while this book deals with a painful subject, there is a bunch of witty conversation and bickering between the two women. It's not all about pain and suffering. It is very uplifting and enpowering, a lesson in love, patience and friendship.