The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving is a contemporary novel by Jonathan Evison. First published in 2012, the book centers on a lonely and depressed caregiver who goes on a road trip with his disabled teenage charge, and together they learn about life, friendship, and hope. The book received a warm critical response upon publication, and it has since been adapted into a major motion picture. Before writing novels, bestselling American author Evison, known for his witty and insightful writing style,  founded a punk rock band and sang as its frontman. This band featured future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

The protagonist Ben Benjamin is a 39-year-old man struggling with depression and grief. His wife filed for divorce months ago, but nothing has been finalized because Ben hasn’t yet signed the divorced papers. He doesn’t want to lose his wife, and he prays that they will somehow get back together.

As if life isn’t bad enough for Ben, he also lost his job recently. Unable to pay his bills, he lost his house. Broke and miserable, Ben doesn’t know how to move forward with his life. With barely any savings and no employment prospects, Ben decides to train as a caregiver. The course only takes 28 hours and then Ben can start earning again. However, it is a difficult course and he is intimated about meeting his first client. Since Ben can barely look after himself, he is sure that he will fail at this, too.



Once Ben finishes his care training, the agency pairs him up with his first client, 19-year-old Trevor Conklin. Trevor suffers from muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that causes muscle weakness and tissue breakdown. Unable to move or walk around unassisted anymore, Trevor feels that his life is over. He looks at other people his own age and resents how they are living a life that he will never experience.

Ben has no idea how to make Trevor, or “Trev,” feel better. He doesn’t see the point in promising Trev that things will get better, because Trev is slowly dying, and Ben isn’t the type to give someone false hope. Ben realizes that Trev is the perfect charge for him because he can be his cynical, negative self around him. He can show Trev that life rarely works out the way we imagine it will, and so he isn’t missing out on much.

The more time Ben and Trev spend together, the more Ben learns about Trev. He feeds Trev the same waffles each morning because Trev doesn’t like anything upsetting his routine. His only bright spot is a trip to the movies every Thursday for the matinee showing of the latest film. He doesn’t have any friends and so it’s up to Ben to go with him.



Sometimes, Ben takes Trev places such as the mall or the grocery store. Trev ogles the local girls, wishing he could flirt with them. He’s angry that his body won’t let him experience a sexual relationship. Ben feels sorry for Trev; Trev’s loneliness makes him more aware of his own pain and heartbreak.

Ben doesn’t talk to Trev about his estranged wife or his financial problems for two reasons. First, he thinks that it is inappropriate. Second, he doesn’t want Trev’s strict mother finding out about his irresponsible past. He cannot afford to lose this job and he is sure that she would fire him if she found out that he only trained as a caregiver for cash.

One day, Ben catches Trev mapping out tourist hangouts. When he asks Trev about the drawings, Trev explains that he is mapping out all the places he will never get to see. Watching the travel channel is the closest he will ever be to cool places around the world. Despite his own problems, Ben realizes that Trev isn’t living life at all; he is simply existing. This upsets Ben more than he expects.



The weeks go by without incident until Trev’s estranged father contacts him. He wants Trev to visit him out in Salt Lake City. Trev’s mother hates the idea, but she ultimately lets Trev go if he wants to. Ben agrees to accompany Trev on the trip, and together they set out for Salt Lake City.

Trev and Ben meet many characters on the road. They meet a young couple expecting their first baby, and a pretty young runaway looking for adventure. Trev can’t help fancying the runaway even if he can’t do anything about it. Still, it is the first time he has ever felt love, and this experience rekindles his passion for life.

Ben recognizes that he is more like Trev than he first thought. Trev feels trapped inside his own body, while Ben feels trapped inside his own mind. They are both prisoners looking to feel alive and free again. By the end of the trip, both Ben and Trev see that anything is possible. Life is for living, no matter how long we have.