4 out of 4 stars
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Saving Hope by a Devoted Grandfather (Jim) is not a story for those who are not prepared to weep incessantly. On the 9th of September, 2001, Jim was not just grieving the terrorist attack on the twin towers. His granddaughter, Hope, was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma on that same infamous date. Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that forms in the nerve cells.Although it can be cured with chemotherapy, there is a high chance of patients relapsing up to 5 years after they have been declared ‘cancer free’. The book is a compilation of emails that a Devoted Grandfather typed to update his acquaintances and well-wishers on Hope’s condition.
At the start of the book, the author includes a major spoiler concerning Hope’s struggle against neuroblastoma. However, you won’t hear it from me whether she won or lost against her opponent. All I can say is that the emails that started on the 20th of September, 2011 and concluded on the 26th of the same month in 2014, promise to make the reader cry and rejoice depending on how Hope’s physical and mental condition are described.
Even though I knew the ending from the start, Jim’s writing style had me emotionally invested in the story. The Devoted Grandfather wrote with a ‘heavy heart’ as he watched his beautiful blue-eyed baby girl make numerous trips to the hospital for the cancer treatment and blood transfusions. My eyes got moist when Jim exclaimed that, ‘‘the frustration, disgust, despair, and depression that our family feels right now is at fever pitch.’’ I rejoiced every time that we were told that ‘‘Hope’s spirits are high.’’ However, one of her many doctors was correct when he nicknamed her, ‘Up, Down, On, Off, Never-Know-What-to-Expect Hope.’ Did Hope exit this roller coaster of physical and emotional trauma alive? I highly suggest that everyone read this amazing book to find out.
I really enjoyed reading Saving Hope. Despite the fact that there were a few grammatical errors, the story was well-written, especially considering since the author confesses that he ‘unintentionally’ wrote this story. Moreover, sometimes the emails were very repetitive. Jim explained very technical details about the cancer treatment including the procedures Hope had to undergo and the drugs she had to take a number of times.Moreover, our Devoted Grandfather had a habit of concluding his emails by expressing a few words of gratitude to the readers as well as declaring that he is living life one day at a time. These 'flaws' actually made the story more enjoyable because they proofed that the author did not ‘doctor’ the emails when he decided to compile and publish them. I also like that although dealing with cancer is expensive, Jim never asked his readers for financial assistance. The author also had a very good sense of humor that served to make me laugh right after he had made me cry. The most amazing thing about the book is that Devoted Grandfather only used one finger to type over 200 pages worth of email.
In conclusion, I rate Saving Hope 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this to everyone, especially to people who are fighting against any type of cancer or have a family member that is diagnosed with cancer. I believe that most readers would have a greater appreciation for life after reading this book.
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Saving Hope
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