by William Boulton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 16, 2013
An engaging personal account that raises awareness of a still mysterious disease.
A young man recounts his struggle with multiple sclerosis.
When debut author Boulton woke up one morning and couldn’t feel his legs, he was alarmed but assumed his condition would quickly resolve itself on its own. After all, he was young (in his 20s), active and healthy. Physicians at his local clinic suspected MS, but they could offer little help as his symptoms worsened. Numerous doctor visits and tests later, he was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, a disease of unknown cause and without a cure. While the official diagnosis cleared up some of the confusion, it didn’t offer relief from the hard-to-treat condition. Fiercely independent, Boulton struggled to manage his symptoms on his own but was eventually admitted to the hospital, having lost the ability to move freely, see clearly, taste and even speak. Thus began his remarkable road to recovery. While the first weeks in the hospital were difficult, Boulton was determined to get better. Slowly, his condition improved, aided by the support of his family, girlfriend and friends. At a rehab clinic, he re-mastered the basic functions of daily life and, less than a year after his symptoms first appeared, was discharged. He was still fighting MS but was well on his way to recovery. Boulton’s tale of his battle with a mysterious illness is frightening, and his descriptions of his frustration, fear and anger as he gradually lost his health and his freedom bring that experience to life. The prose never scintillates, but Boulton’s smart, forthright tone makes him easy to root for. The book brims with details, sometimes mundane. But these facts also work to elucidate the challenges of adapting to life with a serious chronic illness. Detailed accounts, for example, of how long it takes to complete once-simple tasks, like showering, give a sense of how dramatically the author’s life had changed. Also welcome would be a few more facts about the nature of the disease itself, different treatments and Boulton’s long-term prognosis. But overall, this is a compelling story of a successful battle with a devastating illness.
An engaging personal account that raises awareness of a still mysterious disease.Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9920093-0-4
Page Count: 372
Publisher: Explosive Productions LTD.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 28, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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