As the parent of a young child with cystic fibrosis, this is the book I wish all my friends would read. This not only conveys my fears for my child, but also my hope for him to be a “normal” teenager, have his own dreams, fall in love, grow old, and everything else that a parent of a “healthy” child takes for granted.
Salt in My Soul is made up of lightly journal edited entries written by Mallory Smith between the ages of 15 and 25. The one thing that really stood out for me was how normal it was. Anyone who has actually been a teenage girl can relate to what Mallory writes about — dreams of attending college and building a successful career, crushes, struggles with time management — but what we can’t relate to (at least on the same level) is how she is actually running out of time to fulfill her dreams. Interspersed with her journal entries, especially as the end gets closer, are memories and memorials written by those who knew and loved her, including her parents, boyfriend, and the doctors who helped her fight for her fullest life. It’s truly heartbreaking to have lost someone as loved as Mallory.
The CF community is a small one, and while I knew of Mallory, being able to read her experiences from her perspective, gives me a new glimpse as to what it’s like to actually live with CF and not just care for someone with CF. I can only hope I do as good a job parenting as Mallory’s parents did.
I really think this book can be seen as this generation’s Alex (by Frank Deford), and Mallory definitely burned as bright. I hope her legacy can have the same affect as Alex’s does, and really bring more awareness for CF and can hopefully help push phage research to the next level. If I know you in real life and you wonder what all the fuss about cystic fibrosis is, please read this book. And if I only know you through this blog, I highly recommend it, even just to experience a few miles in someone else’s shoes.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.