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Derek McFadden
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What Death Taught Terrence Kindle Edition

by Derek McFadden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
See all formats and editions
The TV is on, and I’m on the couch, leaning as far back as I can. My heavy, indecisive brown eyes—their lenses blurred ever since my tumultuous, too-soon entrance into the world—flutter between open and shut. I am half-watching half-listening to a football game on a Sunday afternoon. Was that the doorbell?
“Who is it?” I call out, expecting to hear my daughter, Megan’s, voice. These days, she is the one person who visits me. The only person who knows I’m making my home in this little oasis fashioned from wood felled by my own hand.
“Terry, it’s Mom. I’m here to help you move.”
My mom? That’s not possible. She’s...
Wait. To help me move? Oh, God.
I rise from the couch and glance back at my lifeless body.


PRAISE FOR What Death Taught Terrence

“What Death Taught Terrence offers a powerful, painful, and poignant
look at the life of a man rarely encountered in fiction. Derek McFadden’s
writes with an insight few can match.”
— T.F. ALLEN, author of The Night Janitor and The Keeper


“A good story allows the reader to experience life as another person,
and McFadden made me do so on a deeply personal level. If you
like the works of Mitch Albom, I think you’ll find What Death Taught
Terrence a worthy addition to your library and the reading of it a lifeaffirming
journey.”
— BRADLEY HARPER, Edgar-Award Finalist,
author of A Knife In The Fog and Queen’s Gambit


“In What Death Taught Terrence, Derek McFadden builds a world that
satisfies both our desire for imagination and our need for personal
introspection. I found this (story) immediately immersive, and it stuck
with me long after I finished. McFadden is doing something rare in
today’s fiction—exploring the limits of what we will believe to form a
better understanding of who we are.”
—
ALEX DOLAN, author of The Euthanist
and The Empress of Tempera

LIFE IS A JOURNEY. SO IS THE AFTERLIFE.

At the end of his life, Terrence McDonald must discover its meaning,
or he’ll be banned from the afterlife forever, and his soul will cease to
exist.
Join Terrence–
and those who love him–on a poignant and
unforgettable journey through a life at once wonderful and harrowing.
Learn what Terrence learns. See what Terrence sees. By this provocative
story’s end, readers may even learn a thing or two about themselves.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    318 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    February 11, 2020
  5. File size
    461 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review


"An engaging what-if novel. Offers a moving portrait of family, hope, and life."

-Indiereader


"Mere words cannot convey how very thought-provoking Mr. McFadden's book is. With a minimum of fanfare and a maximum of finesse, he has created a lovable, hardheaded, inspiring character."

-Book Review Crew



"What Death Taught Terrence offers a powerful, painful, and poignant look at the life of a man rarely encountered in fiction. Derek McFadden writes with an insight few can match."

-T.F, Allen, author of The Night Janitor and The Keeper

"A good story allows the reader to experience life as another person, and McFadden made me do so on a deeply personal level. If you like the works of Mitch Albom, I think you'll find What Death Taught Terrence a worthy addition to your library and the reading of it a life-affirming journey."

-Bradley Harper, Edgar-Award-Finalist, author of A Knife In The Fog and Queen's Gambit

"In WHAT DEATH TAUGHT TERRENCE, Derek McFadden builds a world that satisfies both our desire for imagination and our need for personal introspection. I found this (story) immediately immersive, and it stuck with me long after I finished. McFadden is doing something rare in today's fiction-exploring the limits of what we will believe to form a better understanding of who we are."

-Alex Dolan, Author of The Euthanist and The Empress of Tempera



Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07XXVLF9Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kenboski & Seidenverg Books (February 11, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 11, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 461 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 318 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

About the author

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Derek McFadden

Derek McFadden

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Derek McFadden is the award-winning

author of the novels What Death Taught Terrence (2020) and The Santa Claus Agreement (2022). He is also known for the collection Prose From A Grandson To A Senior Fellow (2003) and for his ability with the editor’s proverbial red pen.

In addition to his previous work as a March Of Dimes ambassador, Derek hosts the Writing While Handicapped podcast on the Authors On The Air Global Radio Network. Visit him online at derekmcfaddeneditor.com.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
54 global ratings
What Death Taught Terrence is a wonderful and humbling read.
5 Stars
What Death Taught Terrence is a wonderful and humbling read.
Likened to literary giant, Mitch Albom, you'll find What Death Taught Terrence a worthy addition to your library and the reading of it a life-affirming journey.McFadden shows how learning to look beyond outward appearances not only enriches our understanding of others but also deepens self-knowledge.There are lessons in What Death Taught Terrence, but in a way that's not preachy and accessible by all lifestyles.What Death Taught Terrence is a wonderful and humbling read.
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Top reviews from the United States

Sandra Montanino, Author of The Weight of Salt
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and Beautifully Poetic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
Only a truly talented author could have written such a fascinating narrative on death and the meaning of life. I found it engrossing, spellbinding, and a story that gives one pause. Derek McFadden’s book is a reminder that everything we do in life affects us, as well as others, and how such events follow Terrence into the next dimension. There he realizes the importance of it all. This is a hard book to put down and a great addition to everyone’s library.
2 people found this helpful
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Libby Jacobs, M.Ed., M.A., author of Wolf Note
5.0 out of 5 stars Compassionate, imaginative, alive with a wry sense of humor
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
The question is not What Death Taught Terrence, but what Terrence, the engaging protagonist of this story about the afterlife, taught me. Terrence relives his experiences on earth as he strives to discover the true lesson of his life, the only way he can avoid total oblivion in the hereafter. He encounters his family, friends, foes, and “The Boss”—God all-powerful but not infallible.

McFadden shows how learning to look beyond outward appearances not only enriches our understanding of others but also deepens self-knowledge.

There are lessons here, but McFadden is always entertaining, never preachy. He presents the reader with an extraordinary gift: insights into empathy, a most rare commodity today.
7 people found this helpful
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Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars One of those books you don't want to end.
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
'What Death Taught Terrence' is as close as one can get to being the fly on the wall in someone else's life, through time, joy, pain, connection, love, loss, struggle and triumph. The writing always feels real and relatable, like reading someone's diary. It's the kind of book that makes you cry at the end, because you don't want to let go of the characters you've come to love.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewer Mac
4.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opening account of letting go of prejudices & fear, and seeing beyond what we think we know.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
This story follows Terrence McDonald, who has just died. He finds himself in the afterlife, and his presence has garnered the attention of "The Boss" himself. Terrence now has to complete his life review, but the stakes surrounding this event are incredibly high. You see, before he incarnated the last time, he made an agreement with the powers that be: If he does not learn the lesson of his life, he will cease to exist and any form. Goodbye, life; hello oblivion.

So the book then takes us on an incredible journey as we view the life of a man through the eyes of himself and his loved ones, a journey that is poignant, sometimes heartbreaking, oftentimes harrowing but undoubtedly unforgettable. We get to see and experience Terrence's emotions, fears, doubts, and pain; we basically get to experience the pivotal events in Terrence's life along with his family as both Terrence and the reader attempt to figure out his elusive life lesson.

I find stories about the afterlife exceptionally intriguing that this novel did not disappoint. It is a story with a huge heart and a melancholy emotional core that is wistfully sad and joyful at the same time.

I think that the author has created something truly special here — a razor-witted deeply moving that examines the modern human condition. It's a novel of so many layers with such a massive heart that it succeeded in making me weep a time or two. So in this way, it was incredibly profound and shattering yet provided a sense of joy when it all came to an end.

It's narrated with such great compassion that it left me wanting to follow the next chapter in Terrence's life. I also loved how wonderfully full, complex and empathetic the characters are. As people drift in and out of Terrence's story, they seem so complete, like they've wandered in from their own novel to appear briefly in this one.

All in all, I was totally mesmerized by the story and continued to ruminate over the characters and story long after putting my Kindle to rest. This is such a smart story, an eye-opening account of letting go of prejudices and fear; of seeing beyond what we think we know. It's a story of love, family, friendship, resilience, and truth. It's a story about the boxes we let ourselves be placed in and the labels we refuse to wear.
10 people found this helpful
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Marilyn E. Briant
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and insightful!
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
Providing a thought provoking read, this book incorporates the idea that there is so much more to living than many realize and while I do not share some of the ideas offered, I thoroughly enjoyed them.
2 people found this helpful
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Genevieve Beltran
5.0 out of 5 stars A Touching and Thought-Provoking Debut
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
What Death Taught Terrance has lessons for the reader as well. What gives life meaning? Are we ever fully aware of the private pain and inner struggles of those in our lives? Is it possible to forgive those who have hurt us? This lovely, heartfelt novel left me pondering these questions about my own life and relationships. A wonderful read.
5 people found this helpful
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Amber Stewart
3.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite book, but not entirely awful.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2020
What Death Taught Terrence wasn't awful. The idea behind the story was fantastic, however the writing style could not capture my attention. I had a hard time finishing the book over all as it was rather lack luster. I really wanted to love this book, but there was alot to be desired.
2 people found this helpful
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S. S. Rhodes
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, poetic, haunting and beautiful.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
Derek did a wonderful job with Terrence. I cried at the end because it had to end. I loved this book in it's entirety. Everyone should read it. So glad I was able to get Derek's autograph on my copy last night. I'm honored to be his Mom. i love you son, this book is amazing.
13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

FeedMyReads
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that makes you think
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is based around what happens when it's your time to move on to your next life and focuses on looking back at your life to see if you met your aims during your life on Earth. This book is written in a beautiful way and I found this book took longer than normal to finish as it made me think so much and so often that I would find myself dealing with the thoughts and questions the book made rather than focusing on finishing reading the book itself. This is one that will make you consider your life, your faith and much more.
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