This is the diary of a mother whose son has progressive muscular dystrophy.
Mother and son, sustained by their courage and Christian faith, supported by the loving community around them, fight against the advancing disease. They do everything possible to allow the boy to live his life as long as he can, in the most normal and fullest way imaginable. The emphasis falls particularly on the determination to remain present in the world—the world of other children, the world of other human beings. And as the physical illness grows inexorably worse, so too does the life of the spirit, which finally brings a sense of victory—one not too dearly purchased—over death itself.
Rarely, as far as we know, has a book achieved such Christian resonance. This working-class mother hides nothing of her inner sadness, her family struggles, her temptations toward despair. But hope, grounded in a vision that is both humanly enlightened and faithful, emerges always as the stronger force. The style is simple and graceful, accessible to everyone.
What is remarkable is that this difficult book, which ends with the child's nearly final decline, nonetheless leaves a profoundly uplifting impression—one that plants an indestructible joy in the heart of the reader.
We warmly recommend it.