MY LIFE WITH LAURA

Inspirational true story of love, marriage and untimely death, created as a memorial to the author’s beloved wife and as a testament of faith for his young daughter, to whom this tragic history is dedicated.

First-time author Moutray recounts the story of his life as a rising young professional in Alexandria, Va., where in 2002 he meets beautiful, vivacious young Laura via an online dating service. They slowly and inexorably fall in love and happily begin a life together, exploring their shared interests in the good life, reveling in each other’s company and planning for a golden future together. They move in together, and as their relationship burgeons, Moutray feels the need to explore his interest in spirituality–which Laura, a devout Christian, lovingly supports. Their glamorous 2004 wedding in the Virgin Islands seals their love–and when Laura becomes pregnant months later, they couldn’t be happier. They have a daughter, Charlotte, and their storybook romance continues with financial success, trips abroad and all the joys of young love and parenthood. Then tragedy strikes: Laura is diagnosed with a rare, aggressive from of breast cancer in 2006, and–despite various treatments–is dead by the end of the following year. Through e-mails, journal entries, his recollections and those of friends and family, Moutray has assembled a loving tribute to his wife, whose faith, goodwill and cheerfulness were present in abundance throughout her life and during her illness. Illustrated with photographs of the couple’s daily lives and exotic travels, My Life With Laura also includes a section of letters to Charlotte, written by friends, caregivers, Laura’s preacher, family members, breast-cancer survivors and others as a way for the author and his daughter–and perhaps also for readers with similar experiences–to understand and deal with their grief.

A faith-affirming story of surviving a devastating loss.