High school sweethearts, Dom and Maria Domiani, are in high spirits as they set out to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary amidst the magical red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. But life takes a bitter twist when Dom falls ill along the way, and emergency surgery reveals he has incurable cancer. The devastating news tests their strength but not their love as they grow even closer in a surprising new intimacy. Maria is a progressive, though devout, Catholic. Dom is less overt about his faith, and Maria wonders how he'll come to terms with the prospect of dying. She is surprised when he finds inner peace and acceptance more quickly than she. After all, this is her world.Maria is a hospice bereavement counselor, thoroughly familiar with death, dying, and bereavement. She can educate others about the process, teach classes on the subject, and walk with complete strangers in their time of need. But she is shattered at the thought of losing her husband, the love of her life.Through the story of one colorful Italian American family, But Not Today captures universal themes of love, meaning, faith, loss, death, and fear of growing old alone. It shows the various ways people cope and how humor can provide a sense of normalcy, even when life falls apart. The story is narrated with heart and love through the eyes and rich inner life of the main protagonist, Maria Angela Theresa Giordano-Domiani.

--Judy Esway

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