“An uplifting but never saccharine account of three brave people fighting for their humanity . . . A fine and moving book.”
—Steve Oney, Los Angeles Times
Jesse
A Mother's Story of Grief, Grace, and Everyday Bliss
Description
Jesse Cooper was an honor-roll student who loved to windsurf and write poetry. He also had severe cerebral palsy and was quadriplegic, unable to speak, and wracked by seizures. He died suddenly at age seventeen.
In fiercely honest, surprisingly funny, and sometimes heartbreaking prose, Jesse’s mother, Marianne Leone, chronicles her transformation by the remarkable life and untimely death of her child. An unforgettable memoir of joy, grief, and triumph, Knowing Jesse unlocks the secret of unconditional love and speaks to all families who strive to do right by their children.
Reviews
“Funny, fierce and illuminating . . . You have to get this.”
—The Boston Herald
“Jesse is an incandescent memoir, glowing with a mother’s love.”
—Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children
“This book will lift you up.”
—Ann Hood, author of Comfort and The Knitting Circle