Jill describes how protecting Beau’s privacy meant the Bidens handled grief mostly alone, traveling between hospitals in Delaware, Philadelphia and Houston while receiving little outside counseling or support. She says that secrecy weighed heavily on the whole family, including children and grandchildren, and that she has since questioned whether they made the right call.
The death left the family shaken but also convinced Jill and Joe of their ability to endure hardship together. The memoir also notes that months after leaving the White House, Joe was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, adding another layer to the family’s health struggles.