Customer Reviews

Marley Rides

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I wasn't sure if I wanted to read about someone's child dying, because it seems like such a depressing subject. But there is a local connection for me, so I wanted to check it out. Well, it is a tremendously moving book...sad, yes....but funny, inspiring, and very thought-provoking. I could hardly put it down, even though I knew the ending. It is a true story filled with love, involving many people, and it shows what a person can do when faced with extreme circumstances, when love is the motivation and support. It is also a deep look at what dying is all about and how we can face it with a conscious and open heart. It will stay in my mind forever.

Marley Rides is a beautifully written, intimate and very original peek into the lives of a family dealing with an unusual boy with an unlikely disease. This book makes laughing in the face of strife and death not only acceptable but a downright necessary survival technique. It is bound to inspire folks to embrace the good times in the midst of their struggles and realize the benefits gained by relying on and supporting their own networks of friends and family in times of need. Marley truly lived his life to the fullest, and his mother has captured his adventures (and her own) magnificently in Marley Rides.

Jennifer (Hart) Massey manages the Innersource warehouse for David Feinstein and Donna Eden's books, DVDs, CDs. Beyond that job description, she is a maestro of inner resources. I found her book Marley Rides, incredibly moving. It is a story of many things - family, community, challenge, humor, resilience - revolving around her son's triumphs despite the challenges of living with a very invasive lung cancer diagnosed when he was age 15. He finally succumbed after many trials and tribulations at age 18. However, Jennifer's very touching book is one of love, authenticity and hope without sentimentality.
I hope you will take a look. I found it hard to put down. It is an opus that nurtures and fills the reader with awe and wonder. Jennifer is a compelling writer. It was most generous of her to commit Marley's tale to these pages.
It is a special resource to recommend to those with close friends or family members dealing with a terminal illness.

Reading Marley Rides was a revelation. Knowing the outcome in no way reduced the impact of the story, it only enhanced it. I found myself, laughing, crying and praying for them all. I've recommended this book to everyone I know. It's an important book about love, connection, support and community. I believe there are lessons for us all within it's pages. Kudos to Ms Hart, she is a talented author; her words are moving and bring you into the immediacy of the moments detailed in her beautiful book.

Reading about the way Marley and his family lived, really lived in the face of cancer was inspiring. The choices that they made, the love they shared and the community they created and encouraged was and is a beautiful and powerful thing.

Thank you for writing such a powerful and emotionally available book. I am changed from reading it.

Reading the recently published book, Marley Rides proved to be a life-altering experience for me. I can honestly say in my 48 years that I have never before read such a touching, emotionally rewarding, and beautifully written book in my life. I will be forever grateful to Jennifer for sharing her story of this miraculous young man, his adoring family, and the network which connected so many to Marley and his awe-inspiring journey. I laughed, grinned, and cried all the way through the book. I even dreaded reaching the final pages, knowing I would soon be separated from this remarkable family with which I had become so attached, even if only through the power of the written word.

MARLEY RIDES is a captivating story of courage. I've never seen a book like it. It's a combination of a book, magazine, photo album, and a personal journal!
This story of a boy who lived like there was no tomorrow, gave me the kick in the pants I needed to stop whining and to start living while I have the chance. The story is also about connecting with family, friends, and an extended e-community. This book made me re-think what I believed individuality and strength are.
Simply put, reading MARLEY RIDES has made me a better person, because I'm not so afraid to live, love, or die anymore.
Thank you!