Strong at the Broken Places: Voices of Illness, a Chorus of Hope - Hardcover

Cohen, Richard M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060763116 ISBN 13: 9780060763114

Publisher: Harper, 2008

Synopsis

Strong at the Broken Places is the remarkable story of five ordinary people trapped in the complex world of serious chronic illness. In this intimate portrait, acclaimed journalist Richard M. Cohen probes lives of sickness as these individuals struggle to cope.

In 2003 Cohen published Blindsided, a bestselling memoir of illness. The outpouring of support revealed to him that not only does the public want to hear from people who overcome the challenges of illness, but that in the isolated world of illness, there are people who want their voices to be heard. Strong at the Broken Places was born of the desire of many to share their stories in the hope that the sick and those who love them will see that they are not alone.

Cohen spent three years chronicling the lives of five diverse "citizens of sickness": Denise, who suffers from ALS; Buzz, whose Christian faith helps him deal with his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Sarah, a determined young woman with Crohn's disease; Ben, a college student with muscular dystrophy; Larry, whose bipolar disorder is hidden within. The five are different in age and gender, race and economic status, but they are determined to live life on their own terms. Intimately involved with these patients' lives, Cohen formed intense relationships with each, talked to their families and friends, and shared joy, even in heart-breaking setbacks.

Though each individual's illness wreaks havoc in a different way, Cohen shows how their experiences are strikingly similar and offer lessons for us all—on self-determination, on courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, on keeping hope alive, and on finding strength and peace under the most difficult of circumstances.

We are strong at the broken places, stronger than we think. In sharing these inspirational and revealing stories, Richard M. Cohen and his fellow warriors against illness offer a chorus of hope.

About this title

About the Author

Richard M. Cohen's distinguished career in journalism earned him numerous awards, including three Emmys and a George Foster Peabody Award. He lives outside New York City with his wife, Meredith Vieira, and their three children.

From AudioFile

Mel FosterÕs deep, strong narration gives listeners the stability they need for this emotionally intense audio about five people with chronic diseases. Though each has faced an almost certain death sentence, all have found a power in life. Ben, with muscular dystrophy, realizes a publishing dream, and Sarah, a social worker, is exhausted but not spiritually diminished by CrohnÕs disease. Foster differentiates the five with fitting portrayals. Denise, who has ALS, has stilted speech that is still robust and resilient. Buzz, a religious man with terminal cancer, has a slow, steady pressing-on voice that reflects his determination. Soft-voice Southern tones portray Larry and his escape from the passions of his bipolar condition to fulfillment in advocating for the mentally ill. S.W. 126/122 © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0060763116
• ISBN 13: 9780060763114
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352