Anna lived only a few precious, wonderful months, and when she died she shattered the lives of her parents. Where is the design to the death of a child? What is left to hold on to? William Loizeaux began to write a journal. Begun out of the agony of grief and the determination to forget nothing, Anna: A Daughter's Life becomes an affirmation: there is no life without a marker. In the terrible beauty and uncompromising honesty of her father's prose, Anna has her marker. Here is an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable child that reaches out to us all.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Anna: A Daughters Life
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Loizeaux began this intimate, harrowing journal weeks after the death of his five-and-a-half-month-old daughter Anna from VATER syndrome, a rare condition involving congenital deformities of the heart, kidneys and esophagus. Anna, who died on July 4, 1989, underwent surgery and intensive care, and was able to spend her last four months at home as "a normal kid" despite a colostomy bag and a need for intravenous antibiotics. Written with luminous clarity and heartbreaking candor, this journal is an exorcism of grief, an outpouring of a father's fiercely tender love and an agnostic's attempt to come to terms with what seems a senseless, devastating tragedy. As Loizeaux and his wife, Beth, cope with their daughter's death, they endure painful, empty holidays and attend adoption classes while trying to have another baby. In a postscript the author, a Maryland teacher, reports the birth of his second daughter, a healthy girl named Emma. Those coping with the loss of a loved one will find this resonant book a source of strength.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
VATER syndrome, a rare condition of vertebral defects, imperforate anus, and radial/renal dysplasia that combine to form a host of congenital anomalies, remains undetectable by amniocentesis. It therefore came as an awful surprise to the author and his wife when their daughter Anna was born with the condition and when, five months later, despite multiple procedures and operations, she died. This memoir of Anna's life, written in clear, moving prose, chronicles the time with her as well as the year after her death. It is a heartbreaking story, but the author's skill and eloquence make it unforgettable. While it also discusses a baby's death, Elizabeth Mehren's Born Too Soon ( LJ 6/1/91) lacks the memorable writing style of this book. Very highly recommended.
- Janet M. Coggan, Univ. of Florida Libs., Gainesville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Janet M. Coggan, Univ. of Florida Libs., Gainesville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the read.,
By Amy G (MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anna: A Daughters Life (Hardcover)
I only came to read this book after I was hunting for informaiton on VATER Syndrome also known as VACTERLS Association. You see I desperately needed any informaiton on this subject when MY son was born with this two years ago. VATER/VACTERLS is uncommon, but more common than we think. Loizeaux's book is a sad yet wonderful story of the life of his daughter Anna. He tells of his daughter's medical difficulties and just how strong she was in facing her obstacles. I enjoyed this book and recomend it highly.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, uplifting, heartbreaking,
By A Customer
This review is from: Anna: A Daughters Life (Hardcover)
I read this book over 5 years ago and I still recommend it to people. It is the true story of Anna Loizeaux's short (5 month) life, told by her father with heartbreaking, uplifting honesty. I don't remember all of the details anymore, but I remember my amazement at the love the author conveyed through his words and his memories. Now that I am a parent (I was not when I first read the book), I think this book gave me a glimpse of the power, the fierceness, of parental love.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sad, but good, book,
This review is from: Anna: A Daughters Life (Hardcover)
Loizeaux did a wonderful job journaling the way he dealt with not only his daughters life and illness, but also her death. It was a great book for gaining insight into how a person deals with such a trajedy. Very eloquently written, and although heart wrenching at times, well worth the read.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
