Already Toast

A biting critique of how America is failing its unpaid caregivers . . . . The result is a bracing antidote to 'sentimentalized narratives' that cast unpaid caregiving as its own reward when, the author makes clear, better Family and Medical Leave Act benefits would be far more useful . . . A startling, hard-hitting story of a family medical disaster made worse by cultural insensitivities to caregivers. --Kirkus Review Provoking and urgent, Already Toast is the vitally important conversation America needs to understand its current crisis of caregiving. Through the lens of her own caregiving experience and an analysis of literary caregivers before her, Washington holds a mirror to the reality of modern caregiving and demands a fresh narrative. Her words are a gift to caregivers everywhere, offering both affirmation and liberation to those who have been made invisible by harmful archetypes of nobility and selflessness. If we are ever to untangle this multi-limbed crisis, it will be with large thanks to Washington, who reminds us that we have an urgent and moral imperative to care for America's caregivers. --Abby Maslin, author of Love You Hard Already Toast is a must read for those concerned about the coming crisis of care and those currently facing the challenges of the caregiver life. Kate Washington describes caring for her husband suffering from cancer while raising two small children, and, in doing so, is not afraid to ask tough questions about how we think about care--an activity both highly valued and taken for granted. A moving, lucidly written true story, Already Toast offers a glimpse into the lives of millions of Americans who give selflessly by providing care to sick, disabled, and/or elderly loved ones, but who pay a steep price in their emotional and physical health and financial stability. Washington argues eloquently that we urgently need to change how we view this practice if we wish to build a compassionate, truly caring society. --Chris Gabbard, author of A Life Beyond Reason