Sean's Legacy: An AIDS Awakening [Hardcover]

Robert Hopkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

This moving memoir traces the odyssey of this close-knit family from Sean's childhood, to his adolescent conversion to Catholicism, to his stunning revelation as a young adult of his homosexuality, Hopkins candidly chronicles his own transformation from a stoic CIA careerist to a grieving father coming to terms with the secret world of homosexuals and the ravages of AIDS.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Hopkins serves as the president of the Hopkins Institute and is the son of Harry Hopkins, the close adviser to Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this memoir, Hopkins shares the joy and pain of raising his only son and then watching him die of AIDS at the age of 26. The book chronicles the family history, including the marriage between Robert and Brenda during World War II and the privileges bestowed on them from belonging to the political elite. Sean was born just before their 20th wedding anniversary and developed a mature personality at an early age. When confronted by his parents, Sean explained his homosexuality to them. During his illness, he remained committed to his endeavors and continued training new acolytes for altar servers in the Roman Catholic Church, balancing his sense of self with the church's teachings. Hopkins's tribute to Sean serves as a reminder of the need for compassion and support for those suffering with AIDS. An appendix gives advice and a list of support organizations. Recommended for inspirational collections.
L. Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., Ia.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 173 pages
• Publisher: Liguori Publications; 1st edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892438754
• ISBN-13: 978-0892438754
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,368,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deeply moving account of a father's coping with AIDS, July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sean's Legacy: An AIDS Awakening (Hardcover)

Even after having known Robert and Brenda Hopkins for some years now, I was not prepared for the dramatic and compelling contents of Robert's book, titled "SEAN'S LEGACY: AN AIDS AWAKENING.

This book provides a truly stunning account of familial love. It reveals in a most personal and engaging way the evolution of a relationship between parents and son, under the most painful of circumstances. And it does so with a warmth, a compassion, and a spiritual dignity that would move any reader.

Moreover, given the tragic march of the still-growing AIDS epidemic, this is a book that must receive the widest possible readership. Every grandparent and every parent is at risk of finding themselves in the position of Brenda and Robert Hopkins. The spiritual and emotional strength which they, as well as Sean, brought to this trauma is not something every one will be able to find within. And that is one of the many powerful contributions of the book--it will provid! ! e an inspiration to so many who might otherwise be at a loss to cope with the discovery of AIDS in their midst.

As a piece of literature that is difficult to put down, SEAN'S LEGACY is impressive enough. But as a source of elegant example and a guide to a loving response to loss, the book shows us how families can grow even closer and more expressive of their love, when faced with impending tragedy. Moreover, the generosity of spirit revealed in this work sets an example not only for the way in which families must cope with this disease, but also for the way in which different generations of Americans must recognize and respond caringly to this tragedy of lost youth.

Peter J. Luciano President National Alliance of Senior Citizens Foundation

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A moving testimony, March 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Sean's Legacy: An AIDS Awakening (Hardcover)

Sean's father, a former CIA agent, brings to the pages his memory and love of his brilliant son, a homosexual, who died at 26 from Aids.
The book is a compassionate memoir, depicting genuine acceptance of his son's sexual orientation. A substantial part of the book relives his son's battle with Aids, from the diagnosis, through his gradual deterioration, and ultimately his death. The struggle, the courage, the determination.....it's all there.