Hope Is a Bright Star: A Mother's Memoir of Love, Loss, and Learning to Live Again

Description

Hope Is a Bright Star is the story of a mother's journey from shock and fear at her young daughter's cancer diagnosis to anguish and despair at her death just a year later-and, finally, to peace and acceptance of her new life. When thirteen-year-old Elizabeth is diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, Faith is in awe of her courageous child, who faces her plight straight on and inspires all who meet her. Despite an army of medical professionals who provide innovative care for Elizabeth, she dies, and Faith and her surviving daughter, Olivia, are thrown into a maelstrom of grief. They find unexpected comfort in the arms of their family, friends, and community-but Faith faces another shock when she has her own cancer diagnosis while navigating the uncharted waters of a life she never expected. In time, Faith discovers moments and places of comfort and peace, and she slowly changes from a mother in despair to a woman with hope for the future. At turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, Hope Is a Bright Star reveals how abiding love can heal a family.

Faith Fuller Wilcox believes that self-expression through writing leads to healing. Her writing is reflective of a growing body of medical research about "narrative identity," which illuminates that how we make sense of what happens to us and the meaning we give to experiences beyond our control directly impact our physical and psychological outcomes. She leads a journal writing program at a pediatric hospital for patients and their families designed to give participants the opportunity to express themselves, alleviate stress, celebrate victories, and honor their grief. As a member of a pediatric hospital committee, she works with parents and medical staff to improve the lives of patients and their families. Faith is the author of Facing Into The Wind: A Mother's Healing After the Death of Her Child, a book of poetry designed to be a companion to those who are on the journey of grieving and healing.

2022 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Grief 2021 CIBA Journey Book Awards Finalist 2021 Nonfiction Authors Association Book Awards Gold Winner 2021 Living Now Book Awards Gold Winner in Digital Media 2021 Firebird Book Awards Winner in Cancer 2021 Firebird Book Awards Winner in Memoir 2021 Firebird Book Awards Winner in Parenting & Family "A strong, poignant addition to the genre; best for fellow travelers." -Kirkus Reviews "Faith encapsulates the strength of humanity, the real essence of a life well-lived, and the power of the human mind to overcome adversity and rise stronger, enlightened, and aware of your real purpose on earth. Elizabeth and Faith's story is going to help others find the strength to find light when everything seems engulfed in darkness. This is a highly recommended read." -Readers' Favorite, 5-star review "From the very beginning of the book, the reader is swept up into all the emotions that author Faith Wilcox pours onto each page. The depth of grief and heartbreaking loss is present throughout, but it is tempered by the strength of love and its enduring and amazing ability to heal even the deepest, most unfathomable pain-the loss of a child. Readers who have suffered such a loss will find the author's emotional struggles familiar and raw, but the message of hope and survival in the face of such tragedy may help guide them through their own journey from darkness into light." -Nonfiction Authors Association Book Awards "Beautifully written, insightful, and unsentimental, Hope Is a Bright Star reminds us that love, loss, and life's unexpected turns reveal an intelligence blessing all of us and this world." -Maria Housden, author of Hannah's Gift and Unraveled "Hope Is A Bright Star, a memoir by Faith Fuller Wilcox, is a raw, honest and beautiful reflection on loss, love, and healing. In 2000, Faith's thirteen-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a malignant tumor of the bone that would ultimately end her life. Wilcox invites us into her journey, allowing us to feel with her and to glimpse the profound impact that such a diagnosis and loss can have on a mother and on a family. As readers, we witness a young girl's courage in the face of a life-threatening illness, a mother's grief, and, finally, a family's resilience as they piece their lives back together and move forward, finding meaning where they can, holding on to hope despite devastating loss. Reading this intimate account was a privilege and an inspiration; it shows us all that it is possible to survive and even eventually thrive when faced with life's greatest challenges." -Annie Brewster, Internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Founder of Health Story Collaborative "A tender and honest recounting of one bereaved mother's halting steps through the dark of grief back toward the light of human connection. Hope Is A Bright Star offers us compelling evidence of the redemptive power of love to restore meaning to a world ruptured by loss and a compass for those on the journey through the reaches of grief, pointing us back home." -Pat O'Malley, MD, Medical Director Pediatric Palliative Care, MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) "This memoir takes us from the devastation of a grieving mother's loss, through the painful and light-filled paths that lead to her healing. The clarity and simplicity of her prose immersed me in a story that will resonate with anyone who has suffered loss, a story that moves through death to embrace life." -The Reverend Cathy H. George, Associate Dean, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale