LETTERS TO SAM

A grandfather's letters to his grandson on love, loss and the gifts of life

by DANIEL GOTTLIEB

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New small softcover book, published 2006, 176 pages. Measures 18 x 11cm. 

Frank, honest and inspiring, the thirty-two lettesr that Dan Gottlieb wrote to Sam, his grandson, address life challenges we all face. Ahtough the themes of the letters are universal, they draw from a personal well of experience. Dan has been paralysed from the neck down since a nearly fatal automobile accident more than twenty-five years ago, and Sam was diagnosed at fourteen months with pervasive developmental disability, a severe form of autism. Dan wrote these letters with the hope that Sam would one day be able to read them and, through them, get to know his grandgather. Letters to Sam is an enduring testament to the connection between people, no matter how difficult the obstacles to communication may seem.

In the tradition of Tuesdays with Morrie and Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, this emotionally powerful collection of letters from a grandfather to his grandson will provide inspiration and solace. When his grandson, Sam, was born, Daniel Gottlieb began to write a series of heartfelt letters that he hoped Sam would read later in life. He planned to cover all the important topics:

• dealing with your parents

• handling bullies

• falling in love

• coping with death.

What motivated him was the fear that he might not live long enough to see Sam reach adulthood. You see, Daniel Gottlieb is a quadriplegic - the result of a near-fatal automobile accident that occurred more than two decades ago - and he knows enough not to take anything for granted. Then, when Sam was only fourteen months old, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disability, a form of autism, and suddenly everything changed. Now the grandfather and grandson were bound by something more: a disability - and Daniel Gottlieb's special understanding of what that means became invaluable. A lovingly written, emotionally gripping book that offers unique- and universal- insights into what it means to be human.

Letters to Sam: a grandfather's letters to his grandson on love, loss and the gifts of life by Daniel Gottlieb