Author tells story of caregiving in ‘A Matter of Death and Life’

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Author and chaplain Alice A. Hildebrand grew up in New York and now lives in Maine.

As a United Church of Christ minister and hospice and hospital chaplain, Hildebrand says she became familiar with the stresses, challenges and rewards of caregiving.

Her memoir, “A Matter of Death and Life,” is the story of how she cared for her father in his last years.

Book Summary:

“A memoir of caregiving for the author’s elderly father in his last years, this book is also about the loss of a beloved career as a hospital chaplain, and a reflection on the many quasi “deaths” we experience throughout our lives. Family dysfunction and fierce love, recovery from addiction, regret and guilt, thanksgiving and hopefulness are woven through the saga of accompanying an infuriating, deeply loved parent to his death. The time period intersects the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which made everything more complicated. Because the author is a pastoral theologian and preacher, biblical reflection is woven into the narrative, as well as reflections on mortality from other sources. Throughout, the author probes deeply into the realities of her own aging and death, providing insights that will be helpful to thoughtful readers of all ages as well as to other caregivers."

Hildebrand graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary with a Master’s of Divinity. She has served as a pastor for three United Church of Christ churches and has been a Board-Certified Chaplain. In addition to her work, she has published research in the Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy and contributed to two anthologies of chaplaincy research. Hildebrand has also received numerous awards for her poetry.

“A Matter of Death and Life” was published in 2025. It is available online from the publisher, from Amazon, and from bookshop.org, as well as from local bookstores.