The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials & Tribulations (Paperback)

by Shirley Cheng (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Replete with fifty photographs, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine unveils the gripping, never before told tale of child prodigy Shirley Cheng--a blind and physically disabled victim and survivor of severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and more so of falsehood in American medical system--and her loving mother, Juliet Cheng. Enter a world of terrors, struggles, dreams, and triumphs in this true life story spanning twenty years as mother and daughter travel the world seeking care and compassion. From Shirley's painful diagnosis of JRA as an infant and the 1990 international news of Juliet's victory over injustice in her custody case, to their acceptance of a harsh and devastating fate, and the elation of Shirley's various academic and personal achievements, this autobiography will leave the reader inspired and thinking twice about life's true values and meanings.

At last, the truth of her life story is told through the eyes of Shirley as she brings you to live through all the hardships and exquisite happiness she has gone through from childhood to a blooming young woman. Experience her inexhaustible fortitude, sheer strength, and tenacious spirit as she reveals her endless shine.

'Shirley Cheng's inspirational book, The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine, offers hope and motivation to overcome challenges. After reading this stellar expose of the daily sufferings of a young innocent child who was championed by the unconditional love of her mother, you will understand unequivocally that life is not what happens to you, it is how you respond to it. A brilliant treatise to triumphing over turmoil. Buy it and be revitalized,' wrote Cynthia Brian, radio/TV personality and NY Times best selling co-author of Chicken Soup for the Gardener's Soul.

'Why is it possible in America, the land of the free, that a parent cannot disagree with a doctor's recommendation for treatment? Shirley Cheng offers a look into her world providing disturbing truths about America's medical and school systems. Shirley's unique way of writing further provides readers with a window to her intelligence, insight, and nature. Her matter-of-fact, original style and ability to prove a point is powerful. A disturbing, and enlightening read. Authentic, honest, and profound. Will change reader's outlook,' wrote Christina Francine for Reviewer's Bookwatch on Midwest Book Review.

'Shirley learned the hard way how indifferent some people could be when it came to the suffering of others. That did not deter her from reaching for the stars. Every day, no matter how she felt, she would try to smile. With her there was no such word as 'quit.' Each time Shirley's mother had to take her to the hospital for some kind of treatment, she would always find a way to bounce back and be ready to go on with her life. Shirley showed great fortitude when it came to pain. Even though she had to fight an uphill battle for twenty years, her attitude was to try to see the good in others and never try to judge anyone in anything said or done,' reviewed by Wanda Maynard from Sime~Gen - Reviews. 'This book will capture the heart of the reader and move you to tears as you travel down life's road with Shirley Cheng, a young author with a passion for life. Truly a star with endless shine. Well done, Shirley.'

'What makes Cheng's story so compelling is not just the debilitating disease of JRA but of the struggles she and her mother, Juliet, encountered with the medical and social service system. These systems demanded a regiment of treatment Juliet didn't believe was appropriate for her daughter. The result was extreme conflict where Juliet was taken to court in the attempt to force the treatment on Shirley.

'This is the story of a mother's dedication and commitment to her child, and it is most of all the story of a strong, brave and determined young woman to live her life to the fullest, even with all its limitations. Cheng dreams big dreams and has the tenacity to make them come true,' wrote Andrea Sisco from Armchair Interviews. 'This heartwarming story is one you'll want to read.'

'It's a story of amazing courage and human strengths, for someone to achieve so much, after having being deprived of so much is an awe-inspiring feat,' commented editor, teacher, author Angela Hooper, Spain.

Shirley Cheng, born in 1983, was diagnosed with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at eleven months old. Due to years of hospitalization, she received no schooling until age eleven. Having achieved grade level in all areas after merely 180 days in a special education class in elementary school, she was transferred to a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, she lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen and received her high school equivalency diploma at 19. She did the entire GED exam, including mathematical calculations, graphs, and an essay, without Braille or vision, but still received a special recognition award for achieving a very high score. She hopes to earn science doctorates from Harvard University after a successful eye surgery.

Shirley wrote this autobiography when she was twenty years old using a screen reader on the computer, and self-published the book at the age of twenty-one, formatting the entire manuscript on her own. She is also the author of Daring Quests of Mystics (ISBN: 1-4116-5664-4), and Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells (ISBN: 1-4116-1858-0).

From the Publisher
The publisher can be reached at ShirleyCheng.com

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Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com (January 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411618602
• ISBN-13: 978-1411618602
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,771,241 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Inspirational!, April 26, 2005

By	Rebecca Henderson (Johnson City, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wow! What a story! Shirley Cheng is most definitely someone who sees the glass of water as being half full, rather than even partially empty. She is living proof that someone can be happy, live a fulfilling life that matters to many others, in spite of severe physical pain, being legally blind and living life out of a wheelchair.

In the midst of pain and not knowing what medical calamity would next happen to her, Shirley has devoted her life to making the most of what she has. Her extraordinary intelligence (being at the very top of her class) is topped only by her determination to succeed and not to allow the constant unwanted companion of pain, the harshness of blindness and the inconvenience of confinement to a wheelchair determine the course of her life.

With her subtitle, "A Young Woman's Autobiography of a 20-Year Tale of Trials and Tribulations," Shirley has clearly illustrated the details of the patience required for learning to do tasks most of us take for granted. While she had her vision, the circumstances of her life have probably made her more aware than most of us are of the some of the very simple pleasures of life. I practically cried when she wrote of the beauty of a pattern of fabric, for example! Shirley has used this book to remind us to count our blessings!

The 700 pages are divided into 91 (yes, 91!) chapters, plus an epilogue. Approximately the last 40 pages are wonderful black-and-white pictures of the author and her mother. The print size is larger than usual; perhaps this is a conscious choice the author made because of her visual problems. While the book is an autobiography, it's written in the third person, making it seem more like a biography. While I would never doubt the writing talents and skills of Miss Cheng, some of the descriptive narrative did bog me down in a few places. All in all, though, it's a good book.

Since early childhood, Shirley Cheng has had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling and debilitating disease. She's had more pain in her twenty years of life than most people have in a lifetime, but remains a very happy individual. Shirley is the author of two other books. Her plans include surgery to restore her vision and earning multiple degrees from Harvard.

The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine truly lives up to its title.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story of courage!, August 10, 2005

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

My interest in Shirley Cheng's story evolved out of my own family's struggles with the crippling and little known disease of children: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). I want to learn as much as I can about the disease in case I happen across something that will help my beloved granddaughter, Caroline. What I didn't count on was being drawn in and captivated by Cheng's story.

Cheng was diagnosed with JRA as an infant, didn't attend school until she was eleven (due to numerous hospitalizations), lost her eyesight at age seventeen and received her high school diploma at age nineteen. She hopes to continue her education at Harvard University.

What makes Cheng's story so compelling is not just the debilitating disease of JRA but of the struggles she and her mother, Juliet, encountered with the medical and social service system. These systems demanded a regiment of treatment Juliet didn't believe was appropriate for her daughter. The result was extreme conflict where Juliet was taken to court in the attempt to force the treatment on Shirley.

This is the story of a mother's dedication and commitment to her child, and it is most of all the story of a strong, brave and determined young woman to live her life to the fullest, even with all its limitations. Cheng dreams big dreams and has the tenacity to make them come true.

This heartwarming story is one you'll want to read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "When the Crooked is Made Plain!", February 25, 2006

By	Linore Burkard "Inspirational Romance Author" (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a complex story written in an easy to read, conversational fashion that is disarming, yet sometimes astounding in its micro-details (ie., telephone conversations you get word-for-word); Shirley Cheng seems to have the memory of a titan. Nevertheless, at times you feel some information is missing--must be missing, because why else the poor treatment by one person after another, one agency after another, one doctor after another, one medical aide after another? But then it hits you--these people, these agencies, these medical "professionals" are really, in many cases, THAT awful! The truth is that American medicine, American government schools and American government agencies all too often think they are GOD. But they're not.

In fact, this book poignantly shows how the enormity of the misuse of power, such as trying to take an ill and hurting child away from its primary source of love and security--its mother--in the name of doing what's "best" for that child, is downright horrifying. And rightly so. The medical establishment is one of the biggest offenders in Shirley's life, and we can probably all relate. (No one is saying, incidentally, that there aren't good people to be found in these arenas of public service, and thankfully, Shirley and her mom find some good people, too.)

If nothing else, Shirley's story is triumphant in that her mother rejects what she knows to be wrong for her child, fights the nightmarish resistance of said "establishment" and wins in the end. But the book is also more than that; it is the tale of a sensitive, intelligent, and observant girl who happens to be painfully disabled; she suffers enormously but has the extraordinary gift of a mother who is sold out for her well-being, hook, line and sinker.

Did the mother make mistakes? Of course. She trusted the wrong people, particularly a relative who was no less than criminal, it seems to me, in her actions. But Juliet Cheng's gift of love to her daughter is something that many able-bodied people never get. She is the epitome of the selfless mother/caretaker extraordinaire, shining the light on the lives of quiet, exhausting devotion that mothers like her live daily.

Overall, the author does an amazing job of keeping the reader's interest; I think the book could be shorter, but I honestly cannot say it was ever boring. When you finish the book you will feel an affinity to this Shirley Cheng and her mother, Juliet. You will admire them both, and hopefully, thank the Lord that your "trials and tribulations" have not been as devastating. If you are interested in a story of hardship and happiness, of personal triumph against horrendous disadvantages, of the experience of being female, Chinese, disabled and blind and yet achieving your dreams in an adopted country--then read this book. The level of success that Shirley achieves is remarkable and inspiring--no less than her achievement in writing this book. Her work and courage alone get five stars in my book.

Shirley Cheng is a talented and bright-hearted young woman who is by no means finished achieving. I look forward to her next accomplishments!

Linore R. Burkard
www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com
Inspirational Romance for Today's Woman of Faith