“Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir” by Heather Summerhayes Cariou is an honest, chilling tale of a family dealing with chronic illness.
The subject of the book “Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister’s Memoir” by Heather Summerhayes Cariou is her sister, Pam, who at the age of four was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a terminal disease of the lungs and pancreas marked by severe coughing and malnutrition; unable to pronounce her condition, young Pam dubs it instead “Sixtyfive Roses.”
I asked my mother to read and review “Sixtyfive Roses”. Thanks for the review, Mom!
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One would expect “Sixtyfive Roses” to be depressing. It is the story of a family in the mid 20th century dealing with cystic fibrosis which, at that time, was a death sentence for any child born with it. There was no known cure and teh methods of dealing with the symptoms were barbaric. Heather, as the “big” sister, is expected to understand that all her parents’ time and energy must be devoted to helping Pam, the stricken little sister, through the harsh treatments in an attempt to prolong her life. Heather’s moods to from sympathetic and loving to angry, resentful and downright rebellious. Through it all, Heather tries to live a normal” life and describes her experiences with candor and a surprising amount of humor. It is a long book, but thoroughly readable, not morose or depressing.
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Now that my mom has given this book such a good review (and that’s a really good review for Mom – she’s a TOUGH critic!) I’m looking forward to reading this book myself when things slow down after the holidays.
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