Anna: A Daughter's Life [Paperback]

William Loizeaux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 1993

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Loizeaux describes how he and his wife coped with the death of his infant daughter in this intimate, harrowing journal.
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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (October 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559702311
• ISBN-13: 978-1559702317
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,220,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read., November 9, 2001

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, March 31, 2000

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, April 17, 2006

By 

Katherine M. Rudoff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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.