Lieke Marsman’s posthumous memoir explores faith, illness and uncertainty

Dutch poet Lieke Marsman’s memoir, published four months after her death, reflects on how terminal illness unsettled her rational beliefs and opened her to questions about God, the supernatural and life beyond Earth. The book is presented as a moving, playful and life-affirming account of facing death, suffering and uncertainty.

Diagnosed with a rare, incurable cartilage cancer at 27, Marsman underwent extensive treatment, including surgery to remove her arm and shoulder. Rather than dwell on medical details, she explores ideas through a wide range of writers and thinkers, alongside everyday memories such as craving a croissant after surgery and sharing empanadas with her girlfriend. The review praises the writing, translated by Sophie Collins, for bringing humour and humanity to profound questions.