It is unthinkable to consider that as mothers we should have to fear an unknown enemy - a silent, unseen villain that at sometime could strike a child while we watch. This enemy is something that can’t be guarded against, protected from, planned for or prepared for. Who could consider that an unknown malformation hiding within a child since birth could suddenly destroy the precious life we have loved and nurtured for more than a decade?

"Who thinks, I have taken a breath; will there be another?"

It was an ordinary summer day when Marie Lawson Fiala found her 13 year old son, Jeremy, on the kitchen floor, having fallen victim to a massive cerebral hemorrhage. In an instant, an artery ruptured deep within his brain causing catastrophic damage. “Letters From a Distant Shore” is a mother’s memoir of her family’s struggle to understand and get the best medical advice for her son’s care. It is also a chronicle of the endless hours she put into caring for him physically and emotionally. The reader becomes intimately aware of this mother’s heartbreak, sits with her during her midnight vigil and almost fights alongside her in helping her son through numerous medical procedures and struggles.

It is impossible for the reader to stand back as a mildly interested observer in this deeply suspenseful, emotional and spiritual journey. I was pulled in from the first sentence. At times, because it was emotional and disturbing, I was tempted to put the book on the shelf, but couldn’t tear myself away. I needed to know the next step in Jeremy’s care, his progress and how prayers were answered in God’s faithful provision.

I found “Letters From a Distant Shore” to be both heartbreaking and inspirational. It is was an excellent, if emotionally demanding read. Marie Lawson Fiala has an easy and even peaceful writing style causing reading time of the 288 pages to fly by smoothly.

About the author:
Marie Lawson Fiala was born in Europe and came to the United States as a child. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with Distinction from Stanford University, a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from the University of San Francisco. She is a full-time practicing attorney and a partner in an international law firm. She lives with her family in Berkeley, CA.


This book was provided by the author, free of charge, for review. It is available through Amazon.com.