Death & Grief
![Stephanie Catudal - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0C5Y7R72V.jpg)
Everything All at Once: A Memoir
An intimate and evocative memoir one woman's experience with the universality of grief and the redemptive power of love as she endures her husband's 84-day battle with lung cancer.
When Steph Catudal met her husband Rivs, she thought that the love, stability, and warmth she shared with her husband had finally dispelled her pent-up anger and grief over the loss of her father and her faith. But when Rivs became ill and was put into coma at the height of the pandemic, the painful memories of her childhood-watching her father die of cancer-came flooding back.
Written with lush lyricism, Steph's account of how this crisis forced her to confront her past is raw, illuminating, and heartbreaking: her father's death that wrecked her faith in God and jumpstarted a decade of rebellion, including running away from home and living out of a van at age 16, struggling with alcoholism, and delving into drugs to ease her pain. Sitting by Rivs's bedside, she grappled with the memories of the past and the uncertainties of the future while reckoning with the unknowns of her husband's illness. Rivs would endure a grueling 84 days in a medically induced coma, eventually undergoing chemo for a similar illness that stole her father.
Like Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart, Everything All At Once is a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting reflection on resilience and a powerful reminder that we can find healing no matter how broken we are.
When Steph Catudal met her husband Rivs, she thought that the love, stability, and warmth she shared with her husband had finally dispelled her pent-up anger and grief over the loss of her father and her faith. But when Rivs became ill and was put into coma at the height of the pandemic, the painful memories of her childhood-watching her father die of cancer-came flooding back.
Written with lush lyricism, Steph's account of how this crisis forced her to confront her past is raw, illuminating, and heartbreaking: her father's death that wrecked her faith in God and jumpstarted a decade of rebellion, including running away from home and living out of a van at age 16, struggling with alcoholism, and delving into drugs to ease her pain. Sitting by Rivs's bedside, she grappled with the memories of the past and the uncertainties of the future while reckoning with the unknowns of her husband's illness. Rivs would endure a grueling 84 days in a medically induced coma, eventually undergoing chemo for a similar illness that stole her father.
Like Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart, Everything All At Once is a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting reflection on resilience and a powerful reminder that we can find healing no matter how broken we are.
Editorial Reviews
"A brilliant, unflinching, lyrical memoir about illness and grief and the intensity of being there for people and the memories it brings up. It's a heart-wrenching book but is also healing in its raw truth. I loved it." - Matt Haig, author of New York Times Bestseller The Midnight Library
"What a gorgeous work, from such an important mind. Every word of Steph's writing is felt, in that shining place of hope we all somehow lose sight of. Few make words feel as revelatory and grounded in the gritty, natural truth of this life like she does." - Tyler Knott Gregson, bestselling author of Chasers of Light
"Everything All At Once won't break your mortal heart, it will remind you that you have one." - Alicia Cook, bestselling author of Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately and Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back
"She writes movingly about the agony of knowing her girls may be bound for a loss like the one that once derailed her… your heart goes out to her." - -New York Times Book Review
"A heart-wrenching, sincere memoir…" - Kirkus
"What a gorgeous work, from such an important mind. Every word of Steph's writing is felt, in that shining place of hope we all somehow lose sight of. Few make words feel as revelatory and grounded in the gritty, natural truth of this life like she does." - Tyler Knott Gregson, bestselling author of Chasers of Light
"Everything All At Once won't break your mortal heart, it will remind you that you have one." - Alicia Cook, bestselling author of Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately and Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back
"She writes movingly about the agony of knowing her girls may be bound for a loss like the one that once derailed her… your heart goes out to her." - -New York Times Book Review
"A heart-wrenching, sincere memoir…" - Kirkus
Readers Top Reviews
Jessica H.Angie
I pre-ordered the book as soon as it became available and could hardly wait for its arrival. It did not disappoint. Steph’s writing style is beautiful and flowy, descriptive without being too wordy, and keeps you turning pages. My only complaint is that the book ended and there isn’t more for me to read! The story is heavy and heart breaking but also a testament to perseverance and the power of hope, which is a very timely reminder for all of us.
Daniel M AlmeidaJ
Even knowing Rivs history well, this book was still very engaging, and i kept wanting to read the next chapter. Finished in 2 days. Steph tells her story in a very transparent way. It is interesting that the only mention of rivs of the past was when they met. It is a very delicate way to protect his privacy, and his right to tell his story. Beautifully written, beautiful flow between the past and the present. Now I wait for Rivs book Stephanie O.
Marla MurphyDanie
All of the time spent in the ICU with my husband while wondering if I was doing the right thing by leaving my 3 little boys with relatives coupled with a style of writing that at times seemed bit too ethereal made this book a little hard to read at times. Yet as hard as it was to read it was equally hard to put it down. What a beautiful story of love, perseverance and fighting for what you believe with all of your heart to be true. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid of confronting some serious emotions.
Bobbiejoe derhakM
Your emotions are going to go into overdrive. I have followed Tommy Rivs career for a while now and followed every update Steph posted during his illness but still left me unprepared for the raw emotional journey i was about to embark upon. You do not need to know anything about Rivs to read this book for what it is - the memior of a woman who has been thru the trenches of life and puller herself out. Someone who has seen life and death at its worse and used those experiences to draw strength and love to help her husband stay alive.
Catherine Sundber
I have yet to go through any loss like Steph but reading this book sure put life into perspective for me. it’s more than a story of grieving/bereavement- it’s all about love. After reading it I wish I could buy 50 copies and give them to people I know. Steph is an amazing writer and I need to go back and highlight the many times I read something and said, “yes! that’s how i feel but I just haven’t been able to put it in words as beautiful as this”.
