Yes, she is dead now.
The wife read the book (The Waiting), said it was excellent. I got teary just listening to her describe parts of it.
The Waiting has 298 320 consumer reviews on Amazon. 298 5-star and 19 4-star. The overall reviews are really strong.
1 3-star (One of the most touching stories I have ever read. One that makes me cry has to be good. I highly recommend it. So well written.)
1 2-star (”The writing is good but the story and outcome are just too predictable. I skimmed through the last two hundred pages)
1 1-star (”It is so good to have a happy ending after so many years. A very uplifting story. I am pleased to have read this true experience.”