All of Us Together in the End

By: Matthew Vollmer

Narrated by: George Newbern

Matthew Vollmer’s family memoir shimmers with wonder and enchantment and begins with the death of his mother from early-onset Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Soon after, flashing lights and floating orbs appear in the woods surrounding his family’s home in rural North Carolina, where his widowed father lives. Formative memories of having been raised in the Seventh-day Adventist church resurge in Vollmer’s mind, hastening self-reexamination and reckoning. He corresponds with a retired geology professor about “ghost lights,” which supposedly occur more in North Carolina than any other American state. He scrolls TikTok. He contacts an eccentric shaman who lives in Spain to have transcendental psychotherapy administered over Zoom. And then Jolene emerges, a woman endeared for decades to Vollmer’s father, holding secrets to their family’s past. Amidst the turmoil and loneliness of the pandemic, All of Us Together in the End is a poignant and often humorous investigation into belief set in a time where it seems people will believe anything. It is an elegiac affirmation of the awesome, strange, otherworldly ways our loved ones remain alive to us, even when they are out of reach.

©2023 Matthew Vollmer (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Thought provoking and hopeful

Plagued by unreconciled emotions and complicated issues related to my own mother’s death, somehow, I found this book (or it found me), at exactly the right time. Vollmer writes beautifully and with such detail, his life experience and journey is vividly brought to life. It’s recommended for anyone processing loss, grappling with religion or coping with family dynamics. As a former SDA the book was especially powerful, and I’m grateful to have experienced it.

As someone who grew up Seventh Day Adventist this is a must read book.

This story has put into words so many of the feelings I have had in my own family.

The lights are a minor part of the story it’s about dealing with death and moving on after loss. I loved every moment of it.

Timely and touching story

A great narrative reflecting the challenges we face as our parents age, pass away, and how we attempt to make sense of it all. This is a relevant read for those raised SDA, as well.

Having navigated aging parents this resonated with me.

A lovely account of Vollmer’s experience with loss and moving forward. It was so relatable to me having been through something similar with my own parents. I loved the narrator for the audio version.