Twice Born Son

Over eighteen years ago, the teenaged son of author Ann Varley sustained a head injury that threatened his life. Jeff was a fairly typical "80s kid," with long hair and a tattoo on his upper arm. While he was capable of being a good student, Jeff would much rather be hanging out with his friends. The author sets the tone early for her moving memoir, waking up readers with an immediate description of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit where her son now lay in a deep coma. Would he survive? And if he did, would he ever be able to lead a normal life again? Here is an absorbing and often-harrowing chronicle of one mother's journey through the aftermath of her son's devastating accident. Ann Varley's vivid descriptions and strong narrative tell how she, a single mother and schoolteacher, dealt with the tragic circumstances. Although once convinced that she could never bear such a tragedy, the author soon learns that she was wrong. "From the very depths of our being we are unable to draw strength to survive," writes the author. With the publication of this heartfelt memoir, it is the author's desire to pass along some of the strength she found during her son's ordeal, thereby, giving others hope.