The Hidden Heroes: Unpaid Labor and the Silent Strength of Caregivers

How The Undying shines a light on the real work of healing

When we think of cancer, we often picture the patient and the doctor. But Anne Boyer’s 'The Undying' reminds us that the true heroes of healing are often those whose work goes unseen: the caregivers. Boyer describes the daily, unglamorous tasks—cooking, cleaning, driving, sitting vigil—that make survival possible. She exposes the gendered nature of care, the legal barriers that exclude non-family caregivers, and the economic sacrifices made by those who refuse to let loved ones suffer alone.

Boyer honors the mutual aid networks and grassroots communities that step in where systems fail. She shows how acts of care—no matter how small—are acts of resistance against a world that too often values profit over people. Her writing is a tribute to the strength, resilience, and solidarity of caregivers everywhere.

By centering the stories of those who care, 'The Undying' calls for a new culture of support and recognition. It challenges us to see caregiving not as a burden, but as the foundation of any just society.