A Small, Good Thing: Stories of Children with HIV and Those Who Care for Them [Hardcover]

Anne Hunsaker Hawkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

Deeply moving and inspiring stories of children living with HIV and the truly remarkable people who care for them.

It was only when Dolores was on her deathbed that she told her husband, Cesar, that she had AIDS, as did their two small children and Cesar. Despite overwhelming obstacles, Cesar is fiercely devoted to caring for his children, one of whom is blind from the disease. Loretta and Mike Riley are on welfare with physical ailments of their own (diabetes, cancer, heart disease); nonetheless their love for a boy severely disabled from AIDS has brought about an astonishing transformation in him. Angelina, because of emotional problems in addition to HIV complications, has been in six different foster homes in two years, but is now in a home where she is thriving. Far from despairing, A Small, Good Thing presents intimate and life-affirming portraits of children born with HIV and the medical personnel, biological families, and foster families who care for them. Through these stories we see the effects of the disease on children and the efficacy of current treatments as well as the ins and outs of the medical systems and social agencies meant to help these children. Children with HIV are an often overlooked group. This immensely powerful and important book provides much needed attention and hope.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A humanities professor at the Penn State College of Medicine, Hawkins spent several years observing the staff and patients at a pediatric AIDS clinic in southern Ohio. Here she presents in-depth accounts of six of the families she observed, all with children who were infected with HIV in the womb. Declining to sugarcoat the toll that poverty, drug-addicted or alcoholic parents, incest, abuse and illness has taken on these youngsters, Hawkins still finds in these young lives surprisingly positive stories. Angelina, an 11-year-old from Puerto Rico who has already lived with six different foster families, once nearly died from pneumonia; now, although dealing with psychological problems, she is deeply loved by her current foster family and appears to be thriving. In another case, Esther Hammond and her husband drew on their religious faith for strength to cope with negative reactions from their family and community when they adopted Alyssa and Marie, two HIV-infected children. One key figure appears throughout the narrativeADr. Bennett, the skilled diagnostician who treats the childrenAand emerges as a hero as he fights medical administrators to provide better care for his patients. Moving and inspiring, this book is a thoughtful anecdotal study of a important societal issue. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This is a touching and compassionate book about children infected by HIV. Through personal interviews, Hawkins (humanities, Pennsylvania State Coll. of Medicine) shows us the real courage of these children and the extraordinary kindness of the people around them. She also raises an alarming point: HIV infection is not only a result of personal choices, it is an issue threatening our whole society. Especially given advanced pharmacological research, HIV-infected people will live longer and have more children, and these children are likely to live into their adolescence and infect their partners and children. Too often, we see HIV infection as a result of moral failure on the part of infected individuals, but we fail to realize the deeper social issues indirectly causing it: poverty, dysfunctional families, abuse, and lack of education, among many others. This book will change people's attitudes toward HIV infection and awaken our sense of responsibility for HIV-infected people, especially children. Recommended for public and hospital libraries.
-DLily Liu, Arkansas Children's Hosp. Lib., Little Rock
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393049442
• ISBN-13: 978-0393049442
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,791,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book, June 23, 2001

By 

Robin Llabres "Hope Robin" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Small, Good Thing: Stories of Children with HIV and Those Who Care for Them (Hardcover)

As a parent of 3 children who are Hiv positive I was able to relate to much in this book. Not only was it informative, but I felt as I could reach out and touch these families through my readings. Anyone who has been infected or affected by Hiv should read this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by Ms Anne Hinsaker Hawkins.

5.0 out of 5 stars A NEEDED AND IMPORTANT BOOK!, March 28, 2001

By 

Oliver Morgan, Ph.D. (Clarks Summit, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Small, Good Thing: Stories of Children with HIV and Those Who Care for Them (Hardcover)

Anne Hawkins has given us an exceptionally compassionate and detailed portrayal of children with HIV and the variety of (good and poor) caretakers in their lives. Her story is also a tribute to a caring physician and his staff who care for these children. Woven throughout is important medical and psychosocial information for those interested in understanding the full situation these children face.

Each of the six stories is beautifully told and pulls at the reader's empathy and outrage; children should not have to face these circumstances, but their caretakers are often trapped and needy too.

The plight of children with HIV is just beginning to be spoken about in many circles. Hawkins' book will be an enormous help to those conversations.