Review of Therefore, Choose Life
Posted: 31 Jul 2024, 06:30
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Therefore, Choose Life" by Suzanne Marks Rosoff.]
Therefore, Choose Life by Suzanne Marks Rosoff is a memoir about the author's family life and how leukemia affected her family. Suzanne Marks Rosoff has two children: Melinda and Paul. When Paul was thirteen, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. This came unexpectedly to his parents, especially his mom, and took a toll on her as she had little or no support from her husband, Erwin. At that time, in 1969, leukemia was somewhat terminal because medical advancements were still not advanced compared to today. How will she tell her son that he has such an illness?
This book shows how life can be for a family with a terminal illness hanging over their shoulders. I especially felt for Melinda because, with a brother who was ill and soaked almost all the attention of her mother, she was left with the option of growing up herself. No one did it intentionally, and her mother hinted at how insensitive she felt she might have been, but that is what such an illness can do to a family. This book shows that even in our darkest hours, we have the ability to choose how we live, though it would be tough to find meaning and grow lasting connections with those we love.
I love that the author was detailed in her narration of this experience, and I felt all the emotions therein. There was nothing as hurtful as hearing that your child had a terminal illness, and you cannot take that away. I love that she did what a mother would want to do first: protect the child from the truth. How Paul found strength in his situation and motivated others as the years went by was inspiring. The pictures added to the book added a personal touch, as they gave faces to those I had emotionally connected with while reading the book. There was nothing about the book that I disliked, which is why I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. The book was also exceptionally well edited, and I recommend it to those who have families or friends with leukemia.
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Therefore, Choose Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Therefore, Choose Life by Suzanne Marks Rosoff is a memoir about the author's family life and how leukemia affected her family. Suzanne Marks Rosoff has two children: Melinda and Paul. When Paul was thirteen, he was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. This came unexpectedly to his parents, especially his mom, and took a toll on her as she had little or no support from her husband, Erwin. At that time, in 1969, leukemia was somewhat terminal because medical advancements were still not advanced compared to today. How will she tell her son that he has such an illness?
This book shows how life can be for a family with a terminal illness hanging over their shoulders. I especially felt for Melinda because, with a brother who was ill and soaked almost all the attention of her mother, she was left with the option of growing up herself. No one did it intentionally, and her mother hinted at how insensitive she felt she might have been, but that is what such an illness can do to a family. This book shows that even in our darkest hours, we have the ability to choose how we live, though it would be tough to find meaning and grow lasting connections with those we love.
I love that the author was detailed in her narration of this experience, and I felt all the emotions therein. There was nothing as hurtful as hearing that your child had a terminal illness, and you cannot take that away. I love that she did what a mother would want to do first: protect the child from the truth. How Paul found strength in his situation and motivated others as the years went by was inspiring. The pictures added to the book added a personal touch, as they gave faces to those I had emotionally connected with while reading the book. There was nothing about the book that I disliked, which is why I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars. The book was also exceptionally well edited, and I recommend it to those who have families or friends with leukemia.
******
Therefore, Choose Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon