Sixtyfive Roses: A Sister's Memoir by Heather Summerhayes Cariou

I’m a lazy reader. Normally, I don’t read books with more than 300 pages. Thankfully, I pushed my fear of long books aside and read this one. Had I left it on the shelf, I would have missed out on a treasure. Don't let the length of this book put you off. It’s absolutely worth the time it will take you to read it. From the first page to the last, you will be on an incredible journey through 22 years of milestones and memories with Pam, Heather, and their family. A must-read for anyone with cystic fibrosis (CF) in their lives, but those unaffected by CF will also find it worth the read.

Pam Summerhayes was just four years old when she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Her sister Heather was six. The sisters were close, and after Pam's diagnosis, their world was forever changed. This book draws you into that world and exposes the whole gamut of emotions the two sisters experienced along their journey from Pam's diagnosis to her death. Love, protectiveness, fear, anger, guilt and more -- the author bares her soul with complete honesty. This is not just another syrupy, wishy-washy, sugar-coated memoir. Rather, it is the gripping, powerful, heart-wrenching tale of the many facets of Pam and Heather's relationship. It's a story of strength and perseverance, life and death, love and loss. Throughout the course of their journey, Heather and Pam take turns teaching, learning from, and inspiring each other in a symbiotic relationship that only the closest of souls can share. Once you pick up this book and start reading, you'll find yourself plucked out of your chair and transported into the midst of Heather and Pam's world -- a place where you will undoubtedly find wisdom and inspiration to carry back into your own life.