His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina [Paperback]

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina [Paperback]

Product Details

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Delta (February 8, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385334672
ISBN-13: 978-0385334679
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

By : Danielle Steel
Price : $10.88
You Save : $5.12 (32%)

Customer Reviews

I am 14 years old and just finished this story. It's always sad when someone loses their life, especially if they are young and seem to have a bright future ahead of them. Danielle Steel did a wonderful job telling the harrowing tale of her baby boy. (If you read some of the other reviews, some say that Ms. Steel only wrote the book for money. I disagree completely and don't understand where they get off saying that because the proceeds go to the Nick Traina Foundation and the sorrow of losing a child is not something that is taken lightly, esecially by the mother) I saw an ad for His Bright Light and decided to read it to learn about this serious illness. It taught me a lot about how manic depressives act and what goes on inside their heads. At the end I cried when I found out how he died and the events of the days before he did. If you would like to learn more about manic depression from something other then a medical textbook or are a fan of Link 80 and/or Knowledge, read this book and get know Nick Traina and the mother who loved him and never gave up hope.

I've never read any of Danielle Steele's fictional novels, but I flew through this account of the life of her son, Nick Traina. His struggles with Bipolar Disorder, and her heartbreak are heartwrenching, but as the mother of a child who lives in the same tortured world, I am inspired by the strength of Nick's dreams, his family's love, and his mother's creativity in her unending search for appropriate resources. This book is filled with personal letters, poems, and song lyrics. There are lots of photographs of Nick and his family punctuating many of the chapters. This is an intimate book. Ms. Steele has opened her heart here, even though it was probably painful. She says in the forward that one of her reasons for writing this book was that she hoped she could educate people about this often-fatal mental illness. That was certainly a worthy goal, and this is the only book I've seen which deals with the trials of Bipolar Disorder in CHILDHOOD. She's managed something else, in my case, however. The Story of Nick Traina made me feel that, if Danielle Steel could survive her son's white-hot dance with life, so can I face whatever years lie ahead for my daughter and our family. It wouldn't matter if this book were poorly written, which I don't believe it is; this is an inspiring, diary-honest, easy-read. It's full of practical, creative suggestions for living with a mentally-ill child. It's about remembering to look for rainbows after devastating storms. It's an unforgettable eulogy of a beautiful young man. It's a book every teacher, minister,medical professional, and library should own.