Reddit Reddit reviews Alex: The Life of a Child

We found 4 Reddit comments about Alex: The Life of a Child. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Alex: The Life of a Child
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4 Reddit comments about Alex: The Life of a Child:

u/missing_the_point_ · 2 pointsr/CysticFibrosis

Alex: The Life Of a Child.

Very sad, but worth the read.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/1558535527/ref=mw_dp_olp?qid=1394674786&sr=8-6

u/delibertine · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I just tried. I wrote, wrote and rewrote but to condense it would be lessening its impact and message I feel.

I found it in a stack of old Reader's Digests my dad had and for whatever reason decided to start reading it. I remember falling in love with her (I was a kid as well, probably close to her age so I could relate to her personality), wanting to reach through the book's pages and protect her, hug her, make her feel better and be with her to comfort her at the end. I remember sitting there alone in my room clutching this book in my hands shaking and even talking to her in the midst of several chapters, encouraging her and urging her on. And of course, I remember weeping when I was done with it. I was a wreck but in a sort of good way. Moved, I suppose. Inspired and amazed at how an eight year old girl could possibly posses that much bottomless courage, strength, wisdom and spirit. Whatever issues I had at the time were laughable in comparison and her story actually helped me a bit while I was growing up whenever something was wrong.

I promised myself (and her), that I would do whatever I could against what she had as a kid but the memory of that promise left me when I became a teenager. A few years ago though my wife asked me about charity. She asked if there were any charities I wanted to support and without even having to think about it, just on instinct I answered, "cystic fibrosis". and it all came flooding back. Her strength, courage, her story and how much it moved me and the drive to help do something about it.

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Life-Child-Frank-Deford/dp/1558535527

u/CeilingUnlimited · 1 pointr/latterdaysaints

I taught high school English for five years, and had my fill of the classics. I find I can't really get into that stuff anymore, although it certainly helps when I watch Jeopardy! I remain a big Hemingway and Steinbeck fan....

I've found as I grow older I am more drawn to non-fiction, with Bruce Springsteen's [Born to Run] (https://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Bruce-Springsteen/dp/1501141511) and a great Teddy Roosevelt [biography] (https://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Rex-Edmund-Morris/dp/0812966007/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497020483&sr=1-1&keywords=theodore+rex) by Edmund Morris being the last two books I've read. As far as fiction is concerned lately - dunno, but I'm always a sucker for whatever John Grisham is cooking.

I was a big Shannara series geek when I was a kid; my singular, lone experience with the fantasy genre. [The Sword of Shannara] (https://www.amazon.com/Sword-Shannara-Terry-Brooks/dp/0345314255/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497020523&sr=1-2&keywords=Sword+of+shannara) was the very first "big" book I ever read, back in 7th grade. About fifteen years ago I got to meet the author, Terry Brooks, and had the distinct pleasure to say to him "The Sword of Shannara was the first book I ever read." Wow. What a nice moment that was. (He graciously thanked me and told me that he hears that a lot.)

Specific, timely recommendation - if you haven't read recently-deceased sportswriter Frank Deford's ["Alex: The Life of a Child,"] (https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Life-Child-Frank-Deford/dp/1558535527) please consider moving it up your list. It's his account of his young daughter's well-fought, yet losing battle with Cystic Fibrosis. I was so moved by this book that I taught it for a few years to my students. Gripping and moving and very readable, it was always a highlight of the school year. DeFord's recent passing brought the book back to me, and I enjoyed reading multiple articles/columns by writers and colleagues discussing the impact that little book had on them as well. It's nice to think that DeFord is now finally reunited with his daughter.

Last thing: Need a great go-to resource for book choices? For many years I've relied on [NPR's must-read list] (http://www.npr.org/books/), and it's always been a home run for me. My wife knows that if she wants to buy me a book, all she has to do is go to that website and pick from the top. I like it better than the NYTimes list, as the summaries are often accompanied by the radio reviews played on NPR.