Life Beyond the Pain

I felt somewhat uneasy when Rachael asked me to share my thoughts about this book because I knew what a great price had to be paid for this story to have been conceived. Life Beyond the Pain is not simply a story about a young man's battle with cancer. It is a gift to the world, fashioned out of the grief, faith and love of his most loyal and trustworthy confidant. This book is a beautiful and heartfelt story, shared through the unique lenses of a mother's love for a boy who grows into a young warrior as he journeys the wilderness, valley and eventual mountain top of his battle with cancer. This book provides a rare and unique opportunity for the reader to experience the most intimate moments in the heart and mind of a mother called to walk an extraordinary path of hope and pain. But I must warn you; this is not a book for those who like their stories packaged in the fairytale language of "happily ever after." It is for those who live pressed in the daily grind, trying to make sense of the unexpected curve balls life throws. This book is a story of love, shared as a soothing balm, for those who have grown weary in their effort to find hope and healing in the aftermath of pain and grief. Dr. Sherri Humphrey Benn