An often moving account of the realities of having a child with a potentially fatal illness.
A memoir that tells the story of parents seeking a cure for their child’s sickle cell disease.
In her debut book, Nigerian-born Ejiofor presents a mother’s story of a child’s encounter with sickle cell disease—a genetic condition that disproportionately affects people with African ancestry. It begins with her young son undergoing an episode of acute chest syndrome, caused by his sickle cell disease. She goes on to relate the story of the belated discovery of her husband’s carrier status; a previous test had an erroneous result, so the couple thought they weren’t at risk for having children with the disease. The majority of the book, though, chronicles their journey toward achieving the only known cure for sickle cell disease at the time—a risky bone marrow transplant. Ejiofor describes in moving detail the trials that the family went through as their son went through multiple transplant attempts, which included a purposeful weakening of the immune system through chemotherapy to prevent the body’s rejection of donated marrow, intended to create new, healthy blood cells. This book is full of information about sickle cell disease, and the Minnesota-based author clearly seeks to raise awareness of the disorder, noting the advantages of her adopted country’s advanced medical treatments. But the work is primarily about the emotional journey of a parent of a child with a debilitating illness. Ejiofor frequently speaks about the importance of maintaining one’s religious faith during trying times and about the reliability of a mother’s love, which will appeal most to those with similar faiths and family arrangements. Overall, it’s a raw, convincing account of a woman finding courage to also keep trying when things go wrong; it even addresses the tough decision of whether to try to have another child who might be a donor match for the first. The book contains family photos and a bibliography of resources with sickle cell disease information.
An often moving account of the realities of having a child with a potentially fatal illness.Pub Date: June 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-63489-419-7
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A powerful melding of image and text inspired by Instagram yet original in its execution.
Smith returns with a photo-heavy book of days, celebrating births, deaths, and the quotidian, all anchored by her distinctive style.
In 2018, the musician and National Book Award–winning author began posting on Instagram, and the account quickly took off. Inspired by the captioned photo format, this book provides an image for every day of the year and descriptions that are by turns intimate, humorous, and insightful, and each bit of text adds human depth to the image. Smith, who writes and takes pictures every day, is clearly comfortable with the social media platform—which “has served as a way to share old and new discoveries, celebrate birthdays, remember the departed, and salute our youth”—and the material translates well to the page. The book, which is both visually impactful and lyrically moving, uses Instagram as a point of departure, but it goes well beyond to plumb Smith’s extensive archives. The deeply personal collection of photos includes old Polaroid images, recent cellphone snapshots, and much-thumbed film prints, spanning across decades to bring readers from the counterculture movement of the 1960s to the present. Many pages are taken up with the graves and birthdays of writers and artists, many of whom the author knew personally. We also meet her cat, “Cairo, my Abyssinian. A sweet little thing the color of the pyramids, with a loyal and peaceful disposition.” Part calendar, part memoir, and part cultural record, the book serves as a rich exploration of the author’s fascinating mind. “Offered in gratitude, as a place to be heartened, even in the basest of times,” it reminds us that “each day is precious, for we are yet breathing, moved by the way light falls on a high branch, or a morning worktable, or the sculpted headstone of a beloved poet.”
A powerful melding of image and text inspired by Instagram yet original in its execution.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-44854-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 5, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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