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Summary: Touching story of a woman's journey to hell and back.
Review: "Love, Greg and Lauren," by Greg Manning, is the true story of a woman's miraculous escape from death. Lauren Manning, a senior vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald, stepped into the lobby of the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th, 2001, just as a fireball emerged and engulfed her. Lauren was burned over eighty percent of her body. Lauren's doctors at the Burn Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital did not expect Lauren to survive her grave injuries. However, Lauren Manning was no ordinary patient. First, she had an enormous will to survive, in order to resume her life with her husband, Greg, and with her ten-month-old son, Tyler. In addition, the staff at the Burn Center was incredibly skilled, and fiercely determined to save as many victims of September 11th as they possibly could. Finally, the prayers and good wishes of people from all over the world were with Lauren and her family. The book is Greg's e-mail diary of Lauren's remarkable recovery. It is a tribute to Lauren's courage, to the skill and dedication of the marvelous doctors and nurses who cared for her, and to the love and support of her friends and family. "Love, Greg and Lauren" is not elegantly written, but it nonetheless has great impact. We feel the emotional duress, the pain, and the uncertainty that this couple and their family suffered as Lauren battled back, step-by-step, until she was finally pronounced "out of the woods." I recommend that you read this poignant account. It is a testament to the tremendous power of the human spirit.
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Summary: Something rubbed me the wrong way...
Review: ...about this book. While I cannot begin to imagine the horrors Lauren has experienced and I wish her and her family the best,I was left a little cold by the contents of some of Greg's missives. There are frequent references throughout the book to Lauren's beauty, and the reader is left with the feeling that it's Greg who is more dissappointed with Lauren's swollen face and missing hair than she is. Also -- Greg spent quite a few nights playing bass with his band at local bars while his wife lay in her hospital bed. Who was home with baby Tyler each and every night? Lauren's parents, who receive little in the book in the way of thanks. They're the true heroes of this story.
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Summary: Something rubbed me the wrong way...
Review: ...about this book. While I cannot begin to imagine the horrors Lauren has experienced and I wish her and her family the best,I was left a little cold by the contents of some of Greg's missives. There are frequent references throughout the book to Lauren's beauty, and the reader is left with the feeling that it's Greg who is more dissappointed with Lauren's swollen face and missing hair than she is. Also -- Greg spent quite a few nights playing bass with his band at local bars while his wife lay in her hospital bed. Who was home with baby Tyler each and every night? Lauren's parents, who receive little in the book in the way of thanks. They're the true heroes of this story.
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Summary: It pains me to say it, but this book is DULL
Review: A true testiment of love. Greg Manning stood by his wife Lauren's side as she was an innocent victim of September 11th. Lauren was entering the WTC as a fireball of jet fuel engulfed her, pushing her out of the building, thereby saving her life, but not before it burned her 82.5%. Usually the survival rate is very low the higher percentage of the burn. Greg Manning, continued to raise their child Tyler and never let a day (90 total) go by the he was not at the hospital. This is a book of e mails Greg sent to his friends and family from almost start to finish about the tragedy and Laurens progress. He hardly misses a day from September 19th until December 18, 2001. Laurens strength is inspiring. Gregs love is heartfelt. He never lost faith, signing every e mail no matter what Laurens condition was at the time, Love, Greg and Lauren. A good read.
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Summary: Powerful and touching, a story of true love
Review: A truly remarkable work, Greg's daily letters and inner thoughts helped him save himself and Lauren. The passion with which he writes show another dimension to the pain and sorrow of 911. Through his diary, Greg reminds us to find miracles in the small things and to be present in our daily lives, since it could all be gone in a flash. It is through this story, that the few blessings of 911 are revealed. It is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit--Greg's and Lauren's. Everyone should read this book--it will open your heart and bring you joy.
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Summary: Inspiring and Insightful!
Review: Greg&Lauren accurately explores the events that occurred on 9/11 and it poignantly chronicles the strength of the human spirit. The author has succeeded in providing both a unique and compelling exploration into the utter devistation that 9/11 reaped on both his family and the industry and companies that he and Lauren worked for.
His eye for detail let me explore (tearfully at times) the agonies of a burn injury as well as the incredible love they have for one another. Laced throughout the story is the power of prayer and its' ability to positively affect the human condition.
This book is a must for historical insights of 9/11 by someone that actually worked at the Trade Center. It is also a book to keep on the shelves for any couple or family faced with the devastation of an injury either physical or pychological. I am certainly a more enlightened and giving person since experiencing Greg&Lauren. Hooray for them and their bravery and all of us as Americans!
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Summary: What a beautiful relationship these two have...
Review: I read the review where the reader felt that perhaps many readers wouldn't be able to identify with this couple because they obviously have money. While it is obvious that the Mannings are financially stable, that does not change what happened or enable them to make Lauren better any faster or easier. And these two work through it together. Faith, while mentioned frequently in this book, is not the central theme. Although, I can't imagine anyone not looking to faith to explain how someone could survive such grievous injuries when so many other people did not. While I do not feel that I know Greg and Lauren after reading this book, I know how much they love each other. A lot of people haven't read about this kind of love before except in romance fiction novels. I was particularly moved by the passage, written on October 11 for an update on the previous day, where Greg writes how he described to Lauren in fairy-tale format what happened to her (the evil dragons breath is the fire consuming her, etc.). There are other very moving passages too. I'm a mother and I ache when Greg describes just how badly Lauren longs to hold their baby boy. While it's not a book that sugar coats the facts and wraps up all tidy in a little bow at the end, this is a very quick read, and very heart-warming.
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Summary: a story of courage and love
Review: I read this book shortly after it was published, and I was moved to tears by Lauren Manning's sheer gutsiness in dealing with her horrific injuries and also by her husband's unwavering devotion to his wife. This is not only a book about courage, grit and determination, but also about a wonderful love between two people. I saw Lauren recently on television and was thrilled to see that her recovery is progressing as well as it is. I love, love, love this book, although I regret the circumstances that caused Lauren's injuries.
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Summary: Inspiring and Insightful!
Review: Love, Greg & Lauren is a touching story of a woman who remarkably heals after being burned on over 82% of her body on 9/11. Through her healing process Greg, her husband, talks about her day to day recovery and how all those around Lauren were counting on her to help heal those who lost loved ones. It's a slow starting book, but in the end you'll be glad you finished it.
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Summary: Loving Story About a Womens Courage to Survive
Review: On the morning of September 11, 2001 the Manning's were both running late for work at the World Trade Center One but Lauren Manning headed off to work. As she entered the lobby a fireball hit Lauren, and it exploded in her face. She ran out or at least tried to and some one saw Lauren and her friend running out and sprayed her with a hose. That was one of the things that helped her survive. When she got to the hospital she was taken to the burn center and found out over 82.5% of her body was burned and she had a 5% chance of surviving. But she had faith in herself to want to survive! Tyler, their son, didn't get to see his mom until November and was living with a relative since his dad, Greg, had to be at work and at the hospital for Lauren. She had to go though many surgeries and had to learn how to walk again .She doesn't know what happened to her the morning of September 11, 2001!
This book takes you day by day to how she wanted to survive for her 9-month-old son Tyler and her husband Greg. This book is written in e-mail form and it was e-mails from Greg Manning to the family that is unable to attend the hospital and see how Lauren was doing. And to hear about how Tyler, Greg and their dog Caleigh are doing. This book was hard to put down because you didn't know what was going to happen next or how the book was going to end. Lauren should be very proud of her husband Greg and all the people that helped support her! She had to go through a lot of stuff to survive, and she made with a 5% chance of living. It is unbelievable. I would recommend this book to people that want to know what happen to some of the victims of September 11,2001 and to people that either work in a hospital or like to know about stuff that goes on in a hospital!
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