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Acknowledgements 3
1 Do You Have Children? 7
2 The Day Our Lives Changed Forever 11
3 Hospital Time 25
Lesson Learned #1 46
4 Course of Treatment 49
5 The New Normal 57
6 The Network 63
Lesson Learned #2 71
7 Circles of Faith 73
Lesson Learned #3 81
8 Timeline 83
9 What Are You In For? 91
10 Bringing up Baby 97
11 On the Other Side of the Table 103
Lesson Learned #4 109
12 It Can Always Get Worse 111
13 The Journey to the Terminal 117
14 Charlotte's Farewell Tour 123
15 What Can You Say? 137
Epilogue: Charlotte's Legacy 147
Anonymous
Posted June 1, 2012
This book was well-organized and a quick read for me (I read it over a weekend). I found it very inspirational and honest and that's what I look for in stories, especially nonfiction. I appreciated the candor and the tips for others who might unfortunately find themselves in the same situation--a family pulling together to deal with an unexpected tragedy. Definitely recommended.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2012
You might expect the memoir of a woman whose preschooler died of cancer to be an endlessly painful read. But the story of the last year of Charlotte’s sweet life contains so much more than grief.
The author and her husband handled their beautiful daughter’s final year on earth with remarkable grace and honesty—even humor, in a circumstance that would seem to have no room for it. (Prepare to explain to onlookers why you are laughing out loud at a book that has the words PEDIATRIC CANCER on its cover.) Their story contains so many lessons, on so many topics: the partnership of parents, the harsh realities of health care, the complexity of end-of-life issues, the kindness of strangers.
Charlotte’s mama takes readers from diagnosis (and the surreal image of an orange-sized tumor in a 3-year-old’s brain scan) to Charlotte’s understanding of what was happening to her (you’ll never see butterflies the same way again) to the grief that often changes, but never disappears. We learn what it’s like to spend long days in a hospital, watching a bubbly and precocious child endure the brutal effects of an aggressive cancer. We see how little things like chocolate and Christmas carols can make even the worst nightmare a little more bearable. We find out how a community can come together to ease the pain of just one family at first, and then many more.
The frankness and ease of Reynolds’ writing gives the feeling of chatting with a close friend about the worst time of her life. In one moment, you think you can’t bear another word; in the next, you find laughter through tears.
It’s an experience that no parent should have to face, but full of moments that every parent -- every person -- can learn from.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 4, 2012
An honest, engaging look at how a family and community comes together as they confront a terrible reality. The flow of the book, complete with "Lessons Learned", made for a quick read -- something difficult to do with such a hard subject. The raw emotions were evident -- and the hope of the author is inspirational. A must read.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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