Welcome to Nobody Told Me.

I'm Laura Owens, and I'm Jan Black.

Our very special guest on this episode is beloved author, educator, and social activist,

Lorraine Carey.

She's the author of several books,

including Black Ice, the Price of a Child, and Pride. Lorraine's most recent book is a memoir called Lady Sitting, My Year with Nana at the end of her century. It's received rave reviews,

including one from O, the Oprah magazine, which called

Lady Sitting simply Radiant.

Lorraine, thank you so very much for joining us.

Oh, I'm delighted.

I'm delighted.

Thank you.

You know, as a two-generational mother-daughter duo, Laura and I are always interested in

multi-generational stories from other people's families.

So tell us the story behind the book, Lady Sitting.

The story behind it is our year and a half, close to two years, of having my grandmother with us on hospice.

She came to us from the hospital.

We expected that she had somewhere between weeks and months to live.

And then she got better or as she said, oh, honey, you're treating me so well i can't die and uh she she lived on with us

she hadn't wanted to come she had lived up until 99 years old in her home and wanted to live

there alone um on her own terms, but just couldn't.

You said that she was terrified of death, and when you just said how she told you, I can't die,

...