Super Short Summary

In Stephen P. Kiernan's The Hummingbird, hospice nurse Deborah Birch balances her demanding job while trying to support her husband, Michael, who is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Iraq. As she cares for a terminally ill patient named Barclay, a former history professor with his own burdens, Deborah discovers valuable life lessons from Barclay's wartime stories and begins to see paths to help Michael heal, culminating in shared growth and the possibility of renewed hope. Themes of wartime trauma and terminal illness are explored.