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His Bright Light : The Story of Nick Traina

His Bright Light : The Story of Nick Traina

List Price: $15.00
Your Price: $10.50
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A tough read - both technically and emotionally
Review: I don't think you will like this book if you are the kind of person who can't get beyond judging the behavior of the author. Ms. Steele does not have "Christian" morals. On many levels, she certainly qualifies as a bad parent. She does not go into any detail on how her son's mental illness affected the other members of the family (and God only knows, there were enough of them!), and that might make you wonder if she had any regard for them at all. But, those issues are not what this book is about. "His Bright Light" is about Danielle Steele's relationship with ONE of her children. Is there guilt? You bet there is! There always is when a child commits suicide.

Ms Steele's intention, as stated in the beginning of this book, was to write a tribute to her dead son. I suppose she went over the top in her attempt to do this - she maybe even glossed over some of the darker things. But, I expect that from a parent who loved their child and who accepted him for who he was, limitations and all. As a tribute, this book certainly shines.

I don't think it was intentional, yet I found one of the most powerful aspects of this book was the way it covertly exposed how terribly awful this disease is for people who are not extremely wealthy. I couldn't help but feel both anger and frustration over the fact that there is no hope at all for those who are economically disadvantaged. For example - how many people can afford to employ two full-time attendants to keep an eye on their child/spouse/whoever? Just imagine what it cost to keep Julie, the tag-team mother, on the payroll (and you are kidding yourself if you think she did all that just because she loved Nicky so much). Imagine the cost of a month's supply of Lithium? And, hospitalizations - don't go there! Many medical insurance policies won't even cover rehab or mental hospitals, and those that do have lifetime limitations that Nick would have used up before he got out of highschool. I shudder to think how tragic this story would have been had it not been for the unlimited financial resources of the author. But, that in no way underminds her pain & suffering.

Concerning the actual writing: I think calling it repetitive is an under-statement. Perhaps this is true of all Ms. Steele's books - I have not read one in ten years. She clearly needs an editor who is not afraid to take out the black pen. The reader knows right from the first page that the author loves her son, so there is no need to repeat it every other page. She also needs to let go of the words "extremely" and "constantly" - I lost count of the number of times she used those words by the time the first chapter was finished. I also found myself distracted, and then downright annoyed, by her "romance novel" prose. Who really cares how gorgeous Nick was! Doesn't every mother think their child is gorgeous? Is he any less valuable if he is not gorgeous? And, much to my dismay, she consistently repeated this declaration on every other page, right along with how much everyone loved him. I found myself wondering why she seemed so desperate to convince the reader that these little details were true, but then I realized that it's just bad writing. That's all. Or, is it "once a romance novelist, always a romance novelist"? Probably.

"His Bright Light" is a very, very sad - at times, it's even pathetic. It offers little hope for the mentally ill who can not, or will not, be medicated. But, if you can read it without judging the author - and, if you can get passed the bad writing - you will find an incredible, heartbreaking story of a parent's losing battle to save her child from himself.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: disappointing
Review: Not being a DS reader,I selected this book due to subject matter.An eloquent mothers ode to her troubled child is what I read.So much more could have been said about the illness itself as opposed to a mothers/family pain.Not even mental health resource material at the end of the book.The "bright light" was that even with ample resources, mental illness presents a heartbreaking struggle for those loving the afflicted.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing Book
Review: This book is impossible to put down. The story of Nick Trania's life is a needed insight into the life of a young person suffering from bipolar disorder. Danielle Steel amazed me with this book and I would recommend it to anyone. It will make you both laugh and cry.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Extraordinary.
Review: Extraordinary. Plain and simple. I have never been so moved by words on a page. Danielle and Julie (the tag-team mothers)- my solace goes to both of you. I could not put the book down once I started into it and I literally sobbed when I finshed it. I felt as if I had lived Nick and Danielle's lives along with them for 19 long years. This is truly a book that will re-charge your soul.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You'll cry... I just KNOW you will!
Review: I read this book shortly after it came out and it will always stay with me. Nick's story is a tragic one and I'm glad his mom had the courage to write this story that will give people in a similar situations hope. As I said, I bought the book when it came out... I read it within days and not a week after, it was being passed around in my family and at work. It's one that cannot be put down! I hope you'll think of buying this book. Too bad Amazon doesn't sell tissue... you'll need a whole box. If you have the chance to read this book, don't pass it up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A heart-touching story
Review: After reading this heart-touching story, of Nick Traina's illness, i had a different view on the world. The struggles he endured every day of his life, help me to strive for my goals and aspirations. This story truly touched me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Touching Tribute
Review: I am 14 years old and just finished this story. It's always sad when someone loses their life, especially if they are young and seem to have a bright future ahead of them. Danielle Steel did a wonderful job telling the harrowing tale of her baby boy. (If you read some of the other reviews, some say that Ms. Steel only wrote the book for money. I disagree completely and don't understand where they get off saying that because the proceeds go to the Nick Traina Foundation and the sorrow of losing a child is not something that is taken lightly, esecially by the mother) I saw an ad for His Bright Light and decided to read it to learn about this serious illness. It taught me a lot about how manic depressives act and what goes on inside their heads. At the end I cried when I found out how he died and the events of the days before he did. If you would like to learn more about manic depression from something other then a medical textbook or are a fan of Link 80 and/or Knowledge, read this book and get know Nick Traina and the mother who loved him and never gave up hope.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good Read
Review: I picked this book up because I have a brother who also was depressed and died tragically. I felt very interested and comforted in reading another family's struggle with a family members' illness. I enjoyed reading of Nick's childhood and of the "signs" of illness that were present at even a young age. I read this book very quickly as it did captivate me. On the down side, I felt Danielle Steel repeated herself alot and wish she had gone in to a bit more detail of her son's specific behavior.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: this was such a great book! i loved it! nick was so sweet and special, i loved the book and him. you are very luckey to have him as your son.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
Review: While this wacky gem has it's moments, Steele often resorts to sophmoric, sitcom-like stunts to emphasize the drama. Like Nick Traina, the punk-rock badboy of the novel, Danielle Steele tries to have her cake and eat it too. You go girl!


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