love story - fiction, Terminal illness-fiction 

Carmel McMurdo Audsley's four novels have all been set in Scotland at a particular time in history. "The Last Hurrah" is a departure from the author's historical fiction books and was inspired by her trip on a cruise ship where she encountered an elderly couple who were experiencing ill health and enjoying one last holiday before they could no longer look after themselves. The author took this experience one step further and created characters from a composite of people she knew, and a scenario that is all too familiar today. Bob and Anna McAllister have both recently been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Their adult children are busy with their own families and lives and they do not want to burden them with their care as their illnesses progress. The McAllisters decide to take one last cruise--and not return. It is a love story about two people who cannot bear to live without each other, and a family's disconnection.