SixtyFive Roses Review and Giveaway
When I started reading SixtyFive Roses, I had no idea what the book was about. All I knew was that Eva Longoria optioned the film rights, Celine Dion wrote the foreword, and Angela Lansbury said she couldn’t put it down. What I didn’t expect was to pulled into the lives of the Summerhayes family. Heather Summerhayes was only six when her sister (who was four) was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. However, since she was only four, she couldn’t say that and called it “sixtyfive roses” instead. In those times, kids didn’t live very long with the disease (I think the oldest living person with Cystic Fibrosis is in their forties now I think). Pam beat all the odds and (spoiler alert!) she did end up living till she was 26.
This is not a book that is happy go lucky. For me, I found it gut wrenching. I have a cousin (who is in his twenties right now) who has Cystic Fibrosis, so this book hit close to home for me. Before having children, I was tested to see if I was a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis (which I was not). I am actually finding myself tearing up just trying to write this review – that’s how much this book affected me. It was Pam’s deathbed wish that Heather write their story and to tell it like it was. This book shows you this family’s strength in a time there was no hope. The Summerhayes helped to create the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Sick Kids hospital in Toronto. They set up a Financial Advisory Board as well as a Medical Advisory Board to help families and to raise funds for research for a cure. There have been many books written about parents going through this struggle, but I think this is one of first of a siblings struggle. This is one of the few that shows you what it is like to live in a home with a chronic illness and how it effects every single person. You feel like you are one of family. You laugh with them; you cry with them. After reading this book, there is no way it doesn’t leave an imprint on your heart and you soul.
This is one of the best books I think I have ever read, and I want one of you to have the opportunity to read this. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Tell me why you would like a copy of the SixtyFive Roses book.
2. Twitter about this contest. Please leave me your username so I can verify.
3. Stumble this post. If you don’t know what Stumble Upon is, please read Lori’s post at Blogging Cents. She explains it extremely well.
4. Add this post to other social media sites like Digg, Kirtsy, Blogging Zoom, Reddit, Propeller, Etc. (1 entry for each social network).
For 5 additional entries,
1. Blog about this on your blog. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.
2. Add this to any forums you belong too. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.
3. Subscribe to this blog using either my email or RSS feed
4. Add my badge to your sidebar:
This giveaway will end on December 20 at 8:00 pm CST is available to US residents. Good luck!
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I love to read and love books that are rich and deep and meaningful as is this one
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I’m a subscriber
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For my niece Hannah
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Cystic Fibrosis is something I’d like to learn more about.
pantslearson@yahoo.com
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I love to read and this sounds like an interesting book
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I would love to read this book. True life stories are the best. Plus, the fact that one sister wrote it for the other pulls at my heartstrings.
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Lisa’s review made me want to read this book. I’m sure I had a Sixtyfive Roses Calender from donations and didn’t know what it meant.
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Thanks for this giveaway. This book is interesting to me. When my son was just six months old, he was tested for this disease. He was lucky enough not to receive a diagnosis of CF, but his experience left with me, awareness for the disease.
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I LOVE TO READ
, MOSTLY NON-FICTION…MY DAUGHTER WENT TO SCHOOL WITH A GIRL WITH CF, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO COMPARE THEIR LIVES.
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Because I love to read anything I can get my hands on and then I pass it along so others can enjoy it as well.
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I got goose bumps after reading your description of the book. OMG….it sounds good.
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Having always been blessed with good health, I love reading about the support, courage and hope people with diseases such as this have. I look at is as a building block, to understand what other people deal with in the face of despair.
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sounds like a sensational read thanks for the contest
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i love to read new books
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im a subscriber
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We have a nephew with CF
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I would like a copy of the SixtyFive Roses book because it sounds very interesting.
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I subscribed to your email feed.
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I want to give it to my mother. She would enjoy it.
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I subscribed & would love to read this book!
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This sounds like a really good book. I have a cousin with Cystic Fibrosis, so I would be very interested in reading this book. Thank you so much for the great giveaway!
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sounds and looks great:)
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I’m fascinated with memoirs; they’re one of my favorite types of books to read.
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I’m subscribed!
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I have your button
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This sounds like a very touching book,I have a neighbor who has
Cystic Fibrosis and she suffers a great deal with it.I would love to
read this book it helps to know what other’s are dealing with,in
order to help them.Thanks for the contest
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I am a Nurse and have had various patients with this disease. By reading this book it would be the other side of the story! Thanks for the chance to win!!
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I serve in the health care industry so this will be and should be on my reading list. I’ll donate it to the township library after reading.
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I have CF and am 48! I’m also a retired physician and now coach others with CF to be happy and as healthy as they can be with CF. I think this contest sounds great! I stumbled you, and I think I’ll write a quick blog post, too (www.sickandhappy.com).
I am not entering the contest (I just lost a brother to CF a couple of months ago, and have previously lost a sister so it sounds a bit much right now), but I’m going to help you publicize it!
Be well.
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