5 comments about Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Tales from a Life.

1. This has been a good year for disability rights in terms of publications. First, Mary Johnson published Make Them Go Away and now we have Harriet McByde Johnson's much anticipated Too Late to Die Young. Read together these texts provide a powerful one two punch for the disability rights movement in an era which has seen the courts gut the Americans with Disability Act. Both authors have been champions and leaders of the disability rights movement and each are gifted writers.
   
   Harriet McBryde Johnson is a gifted story teller--although I wanted to savor the text and make it last I was too spoiled to do so. I read the book cover to cover the day I received it. Now, I am going back to re-read each and every chapter. Each story told resonates at some level regardless of the subject matter. What truly struck me the most was that my life is not so different, that I am not so unsual, and that the bigotry and discrimination I encounter on a daily basis is no different from what other disabled people face. I am not the only one that is subjected to unwanted attention and grossly inappropriate comments. I am not the only one that found Christopher Reeve comments about disability offensive. I am not the only one who is treated poorly when I travel on an airline. In short, discrimination against the disabled is rampant and it is heartening to know others are experiencing and fighting against this. To know that I have two gifted authors on the side of equal rights lets me not only feel better about myself a feel less alone but know the future, in spite of the courts, will be better than the past.



2. While I disagree with a fundamental premise argued in the book, I do recommend it for many reasons. First of all, the author can write! She has filled the book with interesting and unusual experiences, described them with wit as well as passion, and she challenges people like me on some basic assumptions and conclusions. I do hope readers of this book will follow up with Peter Singer's Writings on an Ethical Life (referred to in Harriet Johnson's book) in order to hear Singer's opinions in his own words.



3. This new book by Harriet McBryde Johnson, a civil rights attorney in Charleston, SC and disability activist, is a must read! Her book, Too Late to Die Young, provides insight into aspects of her life and career, but the author states upfront that "This book doesn't have a tidy message." Ms. Johnson is a gifted writer with a provocatively tilted perspective that is worth hearing. She accurately describes herself as a story teller in the great tradition of southern story tellers. I knew her stories were worth reading when, early on in the book, in describing a German doctor's bedside overnight care, she wrote "Now I remember how he kept vigil at my bedside so my parents could sleep and then fell sleep himself. As I listened to his deep, barrel-chested rumble, I imagined he was snoring in German." Later in the book, Harriet, after having noted that her normal viewpoint of most people is at crotch level (due to her posture), described her first impression of someone she met: "It's love at first sight - at my first sight of his shoes." Wonderful!
   
   This easy to read book (a mere 258 pages) includes the bulk of the text of Unspeakable Conversations, a 2003 New York Times Magazine article she wrote that described her conversations with Princeton Professor Peter Singer about his beliefs that the severely disabled, in some circumstances, can justifiably be killed. Interestingly, she is conflicted about the accommodating and courteous man versus his "evil" ideas. She acknowledges that she stands outside the radical mainstream simply for having engaged Mr. Singer in a conversation. Sundry other topics this self-described "crip" covers are her personal crusade against telethons, her atheism, her battles with the Secret Service, caustically amusing anecdotes from the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago, a trip to Cuba, and battles with a New York Times photographer who wants to shoot her nude ("nekkid" in her parlance) and does -- but not for publication, and many more amusing and unsettling stories.
   
   If you want to read a sweet story about a courageous and noble fight against disability that profiles an individual who overcomes great obstacles to achieve self-fulfillment, this IT NOT the book to read. Johnson`s book isn't about her disability (adamantly so)...but the fact that she is disabled inescapably colors her stories in powerful ways. You won't necessarily fall in love with Harriet, her politics, or all of her causes, but I think you will love her passion for what she believes, what she does, who she is, and why she does what she does. Ms. McBryde is a new and profound voice (at least to me) that is worth listening to.



4. The chapters in this book are arranged chronologically, but each is a discrete story. The episodes varied enough so that I was never bored: Ms. Johnson protested telethons, resisted a search of her dorm by the Secret Service, ran for office, served as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, visited Cuba for an international conference on people with disabilities, argued in a jury trial, and more.
   
   Her views on disability as a civil rights issue aren't presented in a didactic way; they become clear to the reader as she confronts her opponents. I liked being privy to the details of her experience, even though she presents herself as nearly always right. While I read I was thinking that she came off as SO sure of herself that I would find her overbearing and a little obnoxious in person. However, she acknowledges the thorniness, and clearly isn't out to be the reader's best friend.
   
   Other than that note, I felt myself in good hands. I have a better understanding of what it's like to need and live with a personal assistant. I was familiar with the basics of disability rights, but the book got into nuances I hadn't considered-- the pressures and trade-offs in Cuba, where genuine intentions for equality butt up against severe economic limits, for example. And it reinforced ideas that non-disabled people glide over: most of us will be disabled sometime. Disabled people aren't necessarily more "terminal" or "suffering" than the rest of us, because frankly everyone suffers and dies. And if that sounds depressing, don't worry: some of the stories in this book were so funny I had to read bits out loud to my spouse.
   
   This is a four- instead of a five-star review because I didn't feel I quite got a fair view of the author's opponents; it was just a little too one-sided, although that enhanced some of the humor. But the book was still well-written and fascinating. Definitely worth reading.



5. As a child, Harriet McBryde Johnson never thought she would live a long life. At least that is what the telethons on television kept saying. However, she has. Yet, this is not a "triumph over disability" story. It is a story of a woman who is living her life fully. From a law student schooling the University of South Carolina on the subject of civil liberties to experiencing a disability-themed conference in Cuba, the reader is taken on a journey in which he or she just might view disability in a different way by the end of the book.
   
   This book was really powerful for me. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. However, it has not been until the last couple of years that I started feeling comfortable with myself as a person with a disability. I read this book as part of a class I took this semester and I'm very glad I did. Stories like these remind me that disability is not a negative and that we are worthy of full, rich lives.

5 comments about El Niño Sin Nombre: La lucha de un niño por sobrevivir.

1. As I read this, parts of the text were unbearable. Yet, Dave's story is an unfortunate reality of the deviance that exists within the human psyche to control, manipulate and abuse another. Anyone involved with educating children in whatever form they chose should read this because the truth brings to light what is hidden in the darkness. Dave is definitely an overcomer and his book will challenge you to look at the little boys and girls we see each day...a bit more carefully and mercifully.



2. This book was about a boy named David who went through a rough time when he was younger. He would get abused by his mother and his dad was an alcholic. The boy had no right and no say in that house hold his younger brothers had more say then he did. he would get tortured everyday and his mother would make him stay and live in the basement with nothing. Later in the book he finally gets rescued and is put into a shelter home. His life isnt how it use to be anymore.



3. The story a child called "it" it shows us the life of a boy longing to be loved. he is abused by his alcoholic mother. his father is torn between the two but chooses not to tell anyone. all his younger syblings are treated with love and care. he is trying to survive in his mothers 'hell'. i recommend this book to teens and young adults it will open your eyes to smoething you might have been blinded by but yet still happens in the world today... Abuse. some people just dont have the courage to stand up for what they know and believe is right. but just think about it you would be saving and inoccent life and giving a chance that wouldnt have been givin.



4. I am a special education teacher at a residential treatment facility that works with children in similar situations. As an end of the year project, I read this story to my 16-18 year old high school girls. They wouldn't let me put it down. The emotions, empathy, and similar situations my girls experienced were finally put into words. David, to them, is a survivor and has given them hope for their own future! Thank you Mr. Pelzer for sharing your story and helping my girls know that they are not the only ones!



5. As a Psychotherapist and campaigner for the rights of children I would recommend this book as a compulsory text for any course on child care, therapy or education.
   It is gripping, moving,shocking and eye-opening. It is particularly relevant to understand the capacity of disturbed parents to hide and disguise their cruelty and the mind confusing, emotionally scarring dilemmas faced by the abused child.
   And yet it is hopeful and heart warming.

1 comments about Venus on Wheels: Two Decades of Dialogue on Disability, Biography, and Being Female in America.

1. At times, the book can be an uncomfortable read. Frank describes cases of women with varying degrees of disability, and their experiences of growing up and making a living in the US. Some examples are extreme indeed. Like Diana, born with no arms and legs in 1950. You could cringe at trying to imagine yourself in her situation. Yet somehow, she managed to cope.
   
   Several others are chronicled here. Often trying to resist the expectation of wearing artificial arms and legs; by wanting to decide how they would appear in public. The book applies anthropological analysis to studying these unfortunate women.
   
   Keep in mind that the various protheses described in the book are now somewhat outdated. Better fitting, easier to use protheses have been developed in recent years. With the promise of ongoing improvements. Ironically driven in no small part by the US military casualties in Iraq.

5 comments about The Little Prisoner: A Memoir.

1. 
   Only two books have ever made me feel so emotional, "THE LITTLE PRISONER" and "NIGHTMARES ECHO". Both tell of child abuse-sexual abuse and both are hard to put down until you have read every page. You will feel for the authors, urging them on...wishing you could make the tough decisions for them and realizing...oh my gawd the courage they have.



2. i have only read 2 other books that shoked and moved me like this a child called it and the lost boy. Wonderfuly written i couldnt put the book down bought it read it that day and read it again. the strenght that jane has nd had is tremedous
   having to endure all that from a man hu was ment to protect her and love her as a daughter and be neglected by her mother and then shuned by her family becase she escaped made me cry so much i loved the book.i recomend it to old and teen but it is not 4 young children . thunbs up i admire jane eliot so much 4 breakin away from it all !!!!!!!!!!



3. The story is harrowing and brutal. By the time I got to chapter three, I afraid the entire book was just going to be a litany of atrocities. I was looking for some insight, introspection, and triumph but the book ended abruptly and left me wondering if the participants in the author's last assault were prosecuted or simply got away with it, which is what the author seemed to imply. This family is seemingly "untouchable" no matter how much harrassment they inflicted--and they seemed to be threatening dozens of different people on a regular basis. Maybe I just don't understand how things criminal justice works in England.
   
   Technically, this book was not all that well written. I was irritated at how many times the editor let the weak construction "There was" stand. Seemingly every paragraph had one. The professional co-writer on the project should have known better. It gave the story the feel of a "just the facts" trial transcipt.
   
   Finally this book contains multiple graphic descriptions of horrific sexual abuse. Children do not be reading it or reviewing it.



4. Another good book up there with "A Child Called It". I just stumbled upon this book at the library and decided to give it a chance. Once I started reading it, I could hardly put the book down. I had to get to the end to see what happened to her abuser. I'm amazed by what other humans are made to suffer through, especially at the hands of their own family members. I give credit to the author for finally standing up for herself and making a case. She put herself and others at risk to do so. Very good read but some parts are a little tough to read through from the abuse standpoint.



5. I dont think many of us know what this means and it was a difficult choice for me to choose to read these kind of books. It is still a taboo subject; but I was glad I read it as it opened my eyes that it is quite difficult to detect abuse behind other disturbing factors like the physical violence and verbal abuse that this lady and her family went through with just one crazy person in the family.
   
   As I read the book and relating to all this kidnap stories of kid disappearing then discovered years later, that they had all the opportunities to tell on their abuser; but they dont. The shear fear and the powerlessness must be so over powering, which the book does not get that across (which is why, for me, I am glad I did not have to experience it with the author).
   
   It is so true that behind close doors you do not know. I am thankful for the author to recount so many painful experiences as I will now keep my eyes open for any tell tale signs and not be one of these people who look the other way.
   
   I recommend this book for someone who dont want all the gorey details, but enough to have one eyes opened to what abuse means.

5 comments about Bald in the Land of Big Hair: A True Story.

1. It's been five years this month (Feb 2006) since BLBH was published, and I still get email from readers every week. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to post a review or drop me a line! Hope I get a chance to meet and greet many of you as I tour with my new novel, THE SECRET SISTERS. Be well, be joyful. ~ Joni



2. I read this book because I asked my fiance to bring me any book from the library and he picked this one because he thought I'd like it...and the reality is that YES I DID LIKE IT.
   
   "Bald in the land of big hair" is a very very good, inspiring and hilarious book. The mix is just perfect.
   
   Joni Rodgers tells us about her life and the huge impact on her life when she discovered she had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This book really touched me in many ways...I never thought someone could find a way to write about the combination of tragedy and humor like Rodgers did...she just makes us see her journey thorugh cancer and how she survived it.
   
   We all know (or at least have a idea) of how horrible chemo is.....Although nobody knows its effects that well as someone who has been through it...but at least we heard horrible things and Joni just found a way to express us how she suffered but in a sarcastic-funny way...which takes a lot of courage..especially when you talk about something as scary as having cancer.
   
   Joni Rodgers also tells us about the conflicts with her kids...the way they reacted toward their mom's condition; the feeling of being a bald woman that screams out cancer; the mental and physical strugle, the relationship with her husband, etc.
   
   This is a great book. I REALLY recommend it. This book has a meaning for cancer survivors, cancer victims and those who suffer with someone close who has cancer...my grandma has cancer but she chose not to have chemo because of the scary effects of it...
   
   Anyway get Bald in the land of big hair...even if you are neither of the people I said...get this book...it gives you a insight into what cancer victims deal with.
   
   vgxoxo@hotmail.com



3. This is one of the best books I have read lately. It's definitely not a cancer-as-slapstick memoir. Joni Rodgers got horribly sick, could have died, and she pulls no punches as this book surveys the physical, emotional and financial wreckage.
   
   Yet she weaves laugh-out-loud passages into her story, which also resonates with tough spirituality, honest frustrations and fears, and love. Lots of love.
   
   I'm buying an extra copy, to pass along when I think someone could benefit from reading it. I want to hang on to a copy, though. There are things I can learn from reading it again. Things I wish I wouldn't need to think about, but for the sad fact that someone I know is likely to be diagnosed with cancer in the future. Maybe with Joni Rodgers' book under my belt I can feel less helpless and find something useful to do for them.



4. Rodgers writes this book from a Christian perspective, but as a Christian I was offended by the language and explicit nature of this book. She explains love making early in her chemotherapy treatment, and discusses the smell and taste of body fluids in explicit detail. This part was at the beginning portion of the book; I finished the book, and found this to be the most offensive bit. Negative attitude and raw language were scattered throughout, however.
   
   This being said, Rodger's story is an honest, provoking one. Her story is interesting and useful. The reader just needs to understand that, as a Christian book, this has some very offensive, unnecessary language.



5. Perhaps I'm just very sensitive to the topic of cancer and general, and despite the fact I realize humor has it's place in cancer treatment, as well as treatment of the whole person, I did find offense to a few aspects of this book. The author obviously has dealt with this trial first hand and knows the importance of tactfulness in such situations, however I felt saddened by it at times and wonder if it would also sadden a newly diagnosed cancer victim.
   
   I would recommend this book for someone that has a good support group, knows the monster they are dealing with, and is strong enough and ready for humor.

1 comments about Adventures in Darkness: Memoirs of an Eleven-Year-Old Blind Boy.

1. Tom Sullivan has "seen" more in a lifetime of accomplishments than anybody I know (come on: how many folks do you know who've played Augusta, run the Marine Corps marathon, appeared on Carson, sold out Vegas, built a blessed family life ... you get the point). It's a breathtaking record that blows away the boundaries most of us assume apply to the lives of the blind or people with similar physical challenges. Adventures in Darkness is the story of seemingly smaller successes - it tells of his pivotal 11th summer, when Sullivan's fierce desire to experience life as a "normie" led him into a series of adventures that make for hilarious, uplifting and deeply affecting reading.
   
   Every child has felt alone, misunderstood and deeply conscious of not belonging. For most of us, it's a transitory part of growing up that hopefully leaves us with humility and empathy as character traits, and shallow enough scars that we're in no way disfigured. We know that the blind experience entirely another level of separation. We know, but with the mixture of embarrassment about our own good fortune and an unwillingness to delve into anything that might sadden us, too often we may hesitate to pick a story about someone who lives with a disability. So here's the good news about Adventures in Darkness: it's a tremendously fun read.
   
   Sullivan's tale will feel familiar to every reader, but it's his storyteller's artistry that has you racing through the book, connected to the common smells, milestones and challenges of growing up, and to the special sense of how indomitable this particular human spirit was and is. What separates Adventures in Darkness from the "up from the bootstraps" mainstream is that it is a good story, well told and from an unexpected perspective. Sullivan is blind; he will make you see. You'll see his deeply loving and disastrously damaged parents; and most of all, you'll see a real kid. Tom Sullivan, as a boy and as a man, has a crushing disability ... and he deals with it. With humor, without pretense, and acutely conscious of human limitations well beyond his blindness, Tom Sullivan makes us share his conviction that while he may have unusual talents and a frightening handicap, he is deeply connected to each of us.
   
   At 11, in the summer that propels him into Adventures in Darkness, Tom Sullivan learns that each of us is independent, dependent, and interdependent. We are defined by what we bring to the world and how we deal with others, and the sighted no less than the blind find ourselves depending on others. It's a lesson of a lifetime, and you'll seldom find it more convincingly or enjoyably brought home.

2 comments about Bone: Dying into Life.

1. marion woodman is unequaled in her ability to see life, in all it's complicated paradoxes, and articulate her journey through it... i find her latest book to be compelling as she shares her personal story with compassion and rigorous honesty... just knowing that she has walked her own path inspires me to continue to walk mine... if you've ever wondered if someone walks ahead of you then read 'bone' and know she is ....



2. Once I picked up this book I could not put it down until I finished it completely, then I went back and made notes on it. My own world view is different than Marion Woodman's but I picked up some valuable insights from this book anyway. It also contains the most horrific account of a cancer treatment I have ever read anywhere. It makes me shudder weeks later just thinking about it. Marion Woodman's own beautiful personality shines through this book. It will also inspire you to try to eat ten servings of the brightly colored vegetables and fruits a day. Go ahead and buy it, it is well worth it.

5 comments about Unspeakable: The Story of Junius Wilson (Caravan Book).

1. It's a Southern horror story, and a courtroom drama, and an exploration of language and isolation, and a biography of an ordinary man caught in a senseless system. And it's all true. And it's frightening, and it's fascinating. It's the twentieth century US, through one man's story.



2. i happpened to move to wilmington, n.c just when this story was coming to light in the press. i was gripped by the story and read every article that came out in follow up. when this book came out i had to have it.
   to find out a deaf man was treated this way for a crime he did not commit is just.....well uspeakable.
   the begining starts with a nice history of area and people. a lot of the begining is spectulaion and dead on at that. no one will ever know what junius' thoughts were in those early years. the story becomes more gripping when the facts start to arrive, via medical reports and staff and friends. it is truly a heartbreaking read. it still haunts me.
   i recommend to everyone. the book is a nice piece of historical racial record. schools should add this to their curriculum.



3. Burch and Joyner have produced a wonderful example of what historical research can teach us. Mr. Wilson's story is heartbreaking but treated with respect and a gentle touch by this authors. The horrors experienced by this man speak for themselves and artfully told by these researchers and writers. This is a book that will appeal to many for many different reasons and leave all shaken. Perhaps it will also inspire others to help make the future brighter for others. I can think of no better use of historical facts than to improve the future.



4. I learned much about the social movements that I've long found fascinating (reconstruction, Jim Crow South, the KKK), have been a part of (mental health, deinstitutionalization, disability rights & ADA) or been close to (deaf culture). How inspired of the authors to recognize that this one man's life story could illustrate so much modern American social history. I was profoundly moved by the suffering, silent dignity and enduring humanity of Junius Wilson. This is an elegant, revealing and vivid story.



5. I was amazed what a page-turner this was, for a story so carefully documented. Even so I found myself frequently in the middle of a deep muse pondering what his story teaches us about communication, isolation and contingency, not to mention injustice stemming from racism and patriarchal attitudes toward the minority who communicate without speech. I noticed I was also learning a surprising amount about broader social and historical movements (American, southern, racial, psychiatric, deaf cultural, and more), without ever feeling bogged down. Truly impressive.

5 comments about Planet of the Blind.

1. As a legally blind person, who had totally blind parents, this vividly written book went a long way in helping me come to terms with my own situation. Like Stephen, for years I was in denial about my own limited vision and tried, successfully for a time, to "pass" as fully sighted. This is no longer possible and I have to face my own limitations head on, as Stephen finally does.

   I recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what living on the "Planet of the Blind" is really like, and for anyone who enjoys beautiful writing.




2. I was reccommended to read Planet of The Blind due to my interest in writing stories about people who had disabilities and about by own disablility for I'm visually impaired myself and I have an interest in writing. So I read Steven Kuusisto's book Planet of the Blind and found it very facinating and inspiring! I highly reccomend it! I'd love to know what is he doing now and is he still writing and speaking of the book?



3. When I picked up this book, I was expecting an autobiography, a memoir of a blind person. I've always wondered how a blind person "sees" the world, so I was curious to read the book. What I got was something much more than a non-fictional account. The prose is absolutely striking, poetic, full of rich vivid metaphors. It inspired tears, and laughter, and rage, and awe in me at different points in the book.
   
   This book is more than a non-fictional autobiography. It's a work of high literature. You will be enriched after having read it.



4. Stephen Kuusisto, the author of the memor "Planet of the Blind," is a poet. You can hear it in every word he writes.
   
   His moving memoir focuses on being legally blind and on the challenges he faced every single day trying to pretend he was a normal, "seeing" person. Along the way, you watch him grow up from an isolated, awkward child to a sensitive and extremely determined individual, one who lived in constant fear of being labled not normal, yet whose refusal to get help made everyday living a challenge to his own survival. At the end, he finally gains independence and normalcy in the form of a guide dog. It is a moment that brought me to tears.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-written and inspiring memoir, which does read like a poem. It took me just a few hours to read finish it, it was so engrossing. It also opened my eyes to the world of the blind, a world I had never really considered before.
   
   Thank you, Mr. Kuusisto, for sharing your story.



5. In Planet of the Blind, Kuusisto seduces his readers to step behind his flawed eyes and witness a world where nearly everything visual must be imagined, or, acquired through painstaking use of a single eye that is legally, but not completely, blind. His single "seeing" eye may be his Achilles heel throughout his childhood and youth. It is not until he is in his thirties that he acknowledges to himself and the world that he cannot see. Planet of the Blind could as easily be Planet of the Imperfect. Brilliantly written, both touching and often funny, this is a memoir about coming of age and coming to terms with oneself, imperfections and all, curable or otherwise.

5 comments about I Remember Running: The Year I Got Everything I Ever Wanted - and ALS.

1. This book is very easy & quick to read - good for those who don't like to spend a lot of time reading one book.
   
   As I was reading this book, I could easily relate to Darcy's frustration. A few years ago, I had a neurological problem where my muscles were slowly becoming weak, and I could hardly walk or move. It was extremely exhausting just getting out of bed. Thankfully, my problem was resolved, but I remember at the time watching other people go about their normal business, like walking etc, and thinking "They are walking so easily, like they don't have to think about it", yet I had to think about everything I did, just like Darcy.
   
   I felt genuine empathy for Darcy, and I am so happy that she lived her last year with so much happiness, despite her terminal illness.
   
   This book reminds me of another I have read recently by Kim Dalton "The Real Fight". Recommended reading.



2. This is a book I find myselfing re-reading a couple times a year (and I don't tend to re-read books). Inspiring, truthful, I feel I could really relate and understand the author. Love this book! Truly beautiful. She left a precious gift to her readers. Highly recommend. Please read other reviews to learn about the content of this book.



3. I was hoping that this book would be an uplifting account of hope to encourage my husband who was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. It was NOT. Would not recommend it.



4. I HAVE NOTICED THAT SOME OF THESE REVIEWS ARE FROM PEOPLE WHO KNEW DARCY. FROM THIS, I AM SURE THAT HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL CHECK UP ON THE REVIEWS ON AMAZON FROM TIME TO TIME. TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN SAMUEL READS THIS HE CAN FEEL PROUD OF HIS MOTHER AND THE LIFE SHE GAVE HIM. THIS BOOK BY DARCY IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN. I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD AND I AM ALONE THIS WEEKEND TAKING CARE OF HIM AND I MADE TIME TO READ THIS BOOK WHILE HE NAPPED A COUPLE TIMES AND FINISHED THIS BOOK AFTER HIS BEDTIME. AFTER READING THIS BOOK, I WILL ALWAYS REALIZE HOW LUCKY I AM, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE SUFFERED FROM MANY PHYSICAL PROBLEMS THROUGH MY LIFE, NOTHING COMPARES TO WHAT DARCY WENT THROUGH AND IT MAKES ME HAPPY THAT SHE GOT TO MEET HER SON BEFORE SHE WENT ON TO THE NEXT WORLD. ONLY A PARENT COULD UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING.
   
   ALSO, I AM SURE YOU WILL AT TIMES FEEL AN EMPTINESS IN YOUR HEART, SAMUEL, BUT I HAVE A GIFT TO HELP YOU THROUGH YOUR TOUGH TIMES. I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHY I RECOMMEND THESE GIFTS, BUT ORDER THEM OR CALL ME AND I'LL PURCHASE THEM FOR YOU! I MEAN IT.
   
   ORDER THE BOOKS AND READ THEM IN THIS ORDER.
   1.CLOSER TO THE LIGHT BY MELVIN MORSE
   2.RETURN FROM TOMORROW BY GEORGE RITCHIE
   3.AND IF YOU LIKE THOSE TWO FOR MORE,,,READ THE STARTER, LIFE AFTER LIFE BY MOODY.
   
   I HAVE READ HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF BOOKS AND I RECOMMEND THESE TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO'S EVER LIVED.
   
   
   
   YOUR MOTHER IS AN INSPIRATION TO ANYONE WHO COMES ACROSS HER STORY. GOD BLESS HER.



5. 
   In the first half of 2003 Darcy Wakefield, age 33, began to seriously assess her life. A relationship had broken up and while she was happy with her roles as runner, swimmer, writer and college English professor, she longed for more. A child, she realized, was essential to her; a man, important but not essential. She took a bilateral approach to her goals, registering with dating services and investigating sperm banks. Darcy had the magnificent good fortune to meet her soulmate in a Denver doctor named Steve, nearly 2,100 miles from her home in southern Maine.
   
   As her relationship with Steve grew in strength, Darcy's strong runner's legs began to weaken. In October of that year she was diagnosed with motor neuron syndrome -- ALS -- Lou Gehrig's disease. This fatal but unpredictable disease kicked Darcy's life into "fast-forward." Steve moved to Maine to be with her, they began house hunting, and early in 2004 Darcy was pregnant.
   
   This journal-like little book is Darcy's exploration of her new world. The short essays are dated and each is named with a present participle that celebrates her new appreciation of life in the here-and-now -- "Committing;" "Expecting;" "Moving;" "Helping;" "Loving;" and the poignant final section, "Birthing," in which she describes the birth of their son Samuel.
   
   While Darcy hopes for a remission of her disease, her thoughtful writing explores the twin realities of her blessings and her losses. Within a year she loses the ability not just to run, bike and swim, but eventually to walk, write and speak. Along the way are wonderful lessons about how to live life joyfully and understand the meaning of disability. "I hate asking for help," Darcy writes. "I am ... a Mainer by birth and disposition, which is to say that I am an independent, stubborn, do-it-my-way-and-by-myself kind of woman, the sort of person who hates being dependent on others."
   
   When the simple things that Darcy took for granted are lost to her, she finds a way to accommodate the loss. In her former life as a busy athletic woman, for example, she rarely took time for manicures. Now unable to do her own nails, she begins to have them done regularly. She writes, "The real truth of my ALS is that it takes daily acts of courage to get up, live the day fully, be grateful for what I have, and to find the humor and grace and the pleasure, yes, pleasure, in not being able to clip my own nails." And as cooking and even eating become difficult for her, she describes her new way of eating: "Slowly. Mindfully. Thankfully."
   
   There is nothing self-pitying about I Remember Running: The Year I Got Everything I Ever Wanted - and ALS; nor is there a false gaiety or denial about her life with ALS. Darcy Wakefield writes intelligently and with the utmost courage about her daily accommodations to weakness and to getting everything she ever wanted, all in the space of little more than a year. Far from being a sorrowful read, this little book may be the most heart-warming and thought-provoking thing you will read this year. Some of Darcy's essays were produced for Maine Public Radio and she made fund-raising public appearances. When she could no longer read her work, her sister Betsy read to the audience. In her last appearance Darcy sat in her wheelchair while Betsy spoke her words: ''You may very well be one of those people who's sitting on a great story, waiting for the right time to write it. Here's my challenge to you. Write now. Write here. Write your first sentence."
   
   Although it's outside the time scale of this brave little book, readers should know that Darcy Wakefield died in December 2005, three months after this book was released. Her partner, Dr. Steve Stout, lives in Maine with their young son Sam.
   
   If you've ever lost or loved -- and who hasn't? -- Darcy Wakefield's intensely personal story will touch your soul.
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008