Rowing Without Oars

In the tradition of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", the extraordinary account of a womans illness and her struggle to come to terms with death Ulla-Carin Lindquist was happily married with four adoring children and a successful career as a newscaster. All of that changed when, as her fiftieth birthday drew near, she began to notice small failures of strength and strange numbing sensations in her hands and arms. As she set out to understand her illness, she began a journal recounting her failing health. Soon the diagnosis became terribly clear: she was suffering from ALS, or Lou Gehrigs disease. In the face of this incurable, degenerative disease, Ulla continued to chronicle her life not only for her childrens sake but also to cope with her impending death. From the moments we ordinarily take for grantedphone calls with her daughters, afternoons spent with her husband and sons through the extraordinarily painful and pervasive decline of her abilities, Ullas unflinching account reminds us of how precious life really is. Her courage through her final days is evident in her clear and lucid prose. As powerful and moving as books like "Autobiography of a Face" and "Tuesdays with Morrie, Rowing without Oars" is an unforgettable work that explores the terror, embarrassment, and pain of illness as well as the universal themes of life, death, love, and the enduring importance of family. I have never read anything like itits quietness, its courage, its lucidity; I found it searing, beautiful, terrifying, and at the same time, affirmingand reassuring. Dr. OliverSacks, author of "Awakenings"Lindquist, Ulla-Carin is the author of 'Rowing Without Oars ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780670034758 and ISBN 0670034754.