No. of pages: 222
Rating: 10/10
Synopsis: During the last year of her short life, Maria Housden's three year old daughter Hannah was fearless in the way she faced death - and irrepressibly joyful in the way she approached living. The little girl who wore her favourite red shoes into the operating theatre changed the life of everyone who came in contact with her. In a lyrically told narrative, both moving and unforgettable, Housden recounts Hannah's battle with cancer and from her story emerge five profound lessons - truth, joy, faith, compassion and wonder - that have the power to change our lives.
Review: There's nothing more I can say about this other than it's devestating and heartbreaking. Imagine having to watch your three year old daughter slowly fading away, and knowing you can do nothing to save her, and that's what this book is about. It's not a fluid story, but rather, snatches of moments and memories that particularly stand out in Maria Housden's mind, from the day she found out Hannah had leukemia, through Hannah's last year of life, and out the other side of her death, and how the family coped with her passing. It will make you cry, it will touch you and it will make you appreciate what you have. There was a lot about God and religion in this book, which I don't personally share the views of, but I could appreciate how it helped the family, and even Hannah, through what is an unimaginable situation. This is definitely a book I would recommend, but be aware that it is pretty much completely about death, if that's a bit of a sensitive subject for you at the moment.
