Inspired by Cointreau’s work and friendship with Mother Teresa, the book shares lessons learned from 12 years of caring for people at the end of life
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ten years after its original publication, Tony Cointreau’s A Gift of Love: Lessons Learned From My Work and Friendship with Mother Teresa is being celebrated with a 10th anniversary edition, bringing its message of compassion, caregiving and human connection to a new generation of readers.
The anniversary comes with new international recognition for Cointreau and the book. Cointreau was named Best International Arthouse Writer for the 10th anniversary edition of A Gift of Love at the 2026 International Film Music and Literature Festival in Bologna, Italy.
First published September 6, 2016, A Gift of Love draws upon Cointreau’s 12 years as a volunteer working with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, including caring for men dying of AIDS at the Gift of Love hospice in New York City.
Born into the family behind the famed French Cointreau liqueur brand, Cointreau grew up surrounded by privilege and later pursued an international career as a singer and performer. His life took a different direction after he saw a photograph of a volunteer carrying a dying man at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying in Calcutta. The image stayed with him and ultimately inspired him to become involved in her work.
During the height of the AIDS crisis, Cointreau began volunteering at Gift of Love, the New York City hospice opened by Mother Teresa in 1985 for men dying of AIDS. He later traveled to Calcutta and volunteered in the Home for the Dying that he had seen in the photograph so long ago.
Over the years, Cointreau cared for people confronting illness, isolation, fear and death. Those experiences, along with his friendship with Mother Teresa, became the foundation for A Gift of Love.
“I wrote A Gift of Love because people kept asking me to do so, telling me that there was a great need for it,” Cointreau has said. “Perhaps it was their parents who were dying, or another family member, or a close friend, and they needed to know what they could do for their loved ones in those last weeks, days, or hours.”
Rather than serving as a clinical guide, A Gift of Love focuses on the human side of caregiving. Through personal stories, Cointreau shares lessons about listening without judgment, providing dignity and comfort, overcoming fear surrounding death, and recognizing the individual behind the illness.
“If I can reach just one person who is flailing around in panic and fear while trying to help a loved one at the end of their life, my journey will have been worthwhile,” Cointreau writes.
He shows how the patients were cared for in Mother Teresa’s hospice in such a way that despite the inevitable outcome, both he and they found peace, joy, even laughter and hope. The book emphasizes that caregiving is not only about what can be done medically, but also what one person can offer another through presence, patience, dignity, and love. A Gift of Love is an inspiring and uplifting book, not just for caregivers but for everyone.
The release of the 10th anniversary edition, made available by Back2Ink Press, provides an opportunity to revisit those lessons at a time when millions of families are caring for aging or seriously ill loved ones. Its recognition at the 2026 International Film Music and Literature Festival further extends the book’s reach beyond its original publication.
About A Gift of Love
A Gift of Love: Lessons Learned From My Work and Friendship with Mother Teresa shares Tony Cointreau’s experiences volunteering in Mother Teresa’s homes for the dying and the lessons he learned caring for people during the final stages of their lives. Originally published in 2016, a 10th anniversary edition is now available.
About Tony Cointreau
Tony Cointreau was born Jacques-Henri Mercier-Cointreau into the family behind the renowned French Cointreau liqueur brand. After an international career as a singer and performer, he spent 12 years volunteering with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity, caring for people at the end of life in New York and Calcutta. His experiences as a caregiver and his friendship with Mother Teresa became the basis for A Gift of Love.
For more information, visit https://www.bookstreetpress.com/tony-cointreau
Linda F. Radke
Back2Ink Press
+1 480-940-8182
Publicists@bookstreetpress.com
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