Make no mistake; this isn’t a pity party or sob story memoir. It is life-affirming and you may cry, but you will be inspired! “After surviving the cruel rage of tyranny from her mother and ex-husband, Sarah Jackson traveled a new path; a journey of loss, heartbreak, and ultimately strength. How do we survive the unthinkable, our child suffering from a terminal illness? Sarah Jackson’s life will … life will teach you that despite all the hardships, you will survive, even if at times it feels like you won’t.”
“The most riveting story I have ever read about the strength of a boy and his mother. If you want to have your heart-strings pulled and your emotions tweaked then When Angels Fly is a must read!”
“Memoirs that deal with tragedy often turn out to be the most life-affirming and give a hope of resilience and strength. Kudos to you, Mary! You found the tender words to tell Eli’s story and your own journey.” ~ Jan Hawke, Author
“A heartfelt and heartbreaking story of a mother’s love; that this beautiful child was subjected to such horrific treatment by his own father, grandmother, and uncle and yet allowed by the “system” to continue to suffer abuse by them while he was undergoing such a serious illness is despicable. Thank God that she was there to protect him and his brother. A must read for anyone who has ever loved a child.” ~ S. Bailey
“So much praise to you for surviving the unthinkable. Thank you so much for sharing your story with the world as inspiration to any other woman who is going through this or has been through this and needs to know they are not alone.”
“As the father of two wonderful daughters, I cannot begin to imagine the horror that took place in this mother’s life. How any man can be so evil is beyond me. Thank God for men like Matt, however. There are a few happy moments in this story that made tears of temporary joy hint from behind my eyes: when Eli was able to drink apple juice without choking; the late-night trip mom took to get watermelon her son craved; when Eli and Noah played, as much as they could, in the hospital together. But sadly these moments too quickly moved aside, and the harrowing acts by a despicable grandmother and truly evil husband and father darkened the story. But this is real. That is partially what attracted me to this book. There is a time for the raw truth, it keeps one grounded. To me, this book was more than a succession of events. Often, I felt like I was sitting across from the mother at a diner. My mind fades to gray images as she recollects her story from years ago. She opens her heart, and I listen to her thought process in awe. The mother is amazing for hanging on for dear life, even when it surely felt the bottom had fallen away and there was nothing to believe in anymore. She was there for her son regardless of all else. If you don’t believe evil exists, you will after reading this. Above all, little Eli shows strength and heroism, and despite the bitter end, he triumphed over life.” ~ Robert Kimbrell. Author
“This was a heart-wrenching story! The protagonist suffered abuse first, from her mother, who seemed to be a mother from hell, and then her husband, who was a maniac, a sociopath, a psychopath and any other “path” I could find to throw at him! As if that was not enough, life threw Sarah an ugly curve with the scourge of cancer that ravaged her son Eli for several months. I just wanted to know what happened with Eli, and how things ended between Sarah and Henry. I also wanted to know what happened to her mother. I was glued to the story until the end.”
~ Joy Nwosu Lo-Bamijoko, Author
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There is no doubt that life is full of trials and hardships. Throughout their existence, each individual will face their own obstacles and troubles. Nobody is immune to this as it is a natural and unfortunate part of life. Nevertheless, the degree of suffering- and how they react to it- will vary from person to person. They may give up completely on life and waste away… or in some cases do the complete opposite. Rising above their struggles to embrace the good they can find. This is certainly not an easy thing to do! In their book When Angels Fly, authors S. Jackson and A. Raymond present a first-hand account of such a scenario. A truly inspirational read which explores the depth of a mother’s love amidst unbearable circumstances.
Essentially, When Angels Fly is a book which recounts the author’s real-life experiences through a series of connected journal entries. It is presented as a Memoir and follows the life of the main character, Sarah. She is a young woman who has lived through a life of horrendous physical and mental abuse at the hands of her tyrannical mother and violent first husband. Neither show her any love, and instead shower her with hatred and abuse. The odds seem to be stacked against Sarah as she keeps getting hit over and over again by life’s unrelenting barrage. Things look as if they are going to turn a corner when Sarah’s dream of becoming pregnant with a little one of her own eventually comes true. However, life once again takes an agonizing turn as the baby is stillborn. It makes you wonder how much one person can endure… something we are soon to find out. Not too long after this event, Sarah does manage to give birth to two sons and takes this as the push needed to escape her vile husband and thus provide a loving home for her boys. Nonetheless, as becomes the theme, life does not let her off the hook. Her youngest son Eli, becomes extremely ill with cancer at just 5 years old. The remainder of the book deals with how Sarah meticulously cares for young Eli while at the same time continuing to juggle these responsibilities while showing her love for her other son Noah. All of this happens amidst a backdrop of continual harassment and abuse from her ex-husband, mother and certain family members.
Mark my words… this is a powerful book! I often had to read it through blurred vision as my own tears stained the pages. It will suck your emotions out from your inner core in a way you would not expect. At various times I felt joy, hope, anger and grief with the passing of only a few pages. This is what exceptionally well-written books will do. I am not always a big fan of a journal or diary entry approach, but it absolutely works in this book. In fact, it is a required element for the Memoir to succeed. From the child abuse recollections to the daily heartbreaking care for Eli. It was all very authentic and genuine. It allows the reader to gain access to the author’s innermost thoughts and feelings. This ensures that we are able to understand and appreciate how someone could experience such hardship and grief… yet still be able to appreciate the positive and beauty of life. To find new love amongst the ruins and appreciate what she has. To remember those who are left behind, such as young Noah, and not curl up into a ball hoping to waste away. To rise above life’s cruel blow in such a manner that it is not only remarkable, but truly inspirational.
All in all I found this to be an exceptionally well-written book. Nevertheless, it can be quite difficult to read at times due to the subject matter. It will absolutely tug at your heartstrings and emotions. There is quite a bit of intricate daily details which are given in the book as well. In my opinion this is a necessary requirement for this Memoir as it provides the details and background which are needed to become fully engaged and engrossed in the writing. While there is a lot of grief in this book, in the end it is truly all about a mother’s unrelenting love.
I would highly recommend this work to all readers seeking a motivational and inspirational lift. It has the unique ability to put everything in perspective.
5 out of 5 Heartbreaking yet Inspirational Stars for this one! *****
Heartbreaking and Engaging!
After reading/listening to this heartrending book and going through the journey with the characters, I was happy it had a somewhat happy ending although I wished Eli lived. *sighs.