Dreaminaret's Review of "WITHOUT YOU" (very few [if any] spoilers)- Page 6

[LariTheLoud]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 2:16pm

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY!

I received my REAL, officially released copy in the mail today. Hooray!

Posted: 2/8/06 at 5:03pm

I just finished the book, only less than 20 minutes ago. Anthony- I don't know if you'll read this but if you do , I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing part of your life with the world. I found the book to be beyond amazing, and I feel so lucky to have gotten to read it.

And I was also so glad to see your message on here! What a wonderful suprise! Thanks for keeping us updated and for continuing communication with us. We're more than thankful.

Cheers!

[cnolan7263]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 8:38am

In my opinion, I believe that this novel was a touching memoir of the author's take on the situation. Back in 2002, I lost my mother to a lengthy battle against ulcerative colitis- a battle that began with stomachaches and ended in an Intensive Care Unit in Buffalo, NY, speaking through tears with my family and the doctors about where her organs would go. I missed my Mom's last moments as well, and can identify with that horrible, socked-in-the-gut type of feeling that wells up from the very bottom of your soul. Unfortunatly, I lost my father three short months later to a vehicle accident, so the grief was compounded into one hellish season. I applaud Anthony for his heartfelt book- I'm sure it took a lot of courage to explore those feelings, to essentially tear the scab off the wounds that, although no longer hemorrhage, still ooze. I can relate.

It's difficult to pour your heart out into pages, and even more difficult to share those pages with the people that you care about most. I'm writing my own novel, and although I'm not famous and most definatly never will be- I've got those feelings. I've never struggled with sexuality, but I've struggled with finding myself, the Charity Nolan that I'd lost somewhere between funerals and cemetary visits, to adjusting to life on my own at sixteen and finally packing up my twenty year life into neat carboard boxes to move into one awful apartment after another. It got to the point where I was so unhappy, had such a need to be part of something bigger than myself, that I quit my job at a local hospital (where, incidentally, I work working an Intesive Car Unit as well), hopped on a plane and six hours later, found myself in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, with nothing but my stethescope and the two years of nursing knowledge that I'd gained at University of Pittsburgh, solidified with a document proclaiming I was competant to practice nursing. It was there, among the lost souls, rain and wind-battered shells of homes that I found who I am. Bay St. Louis was my New York, if you will.

Life isn't easy. In fact, it's hard as hell, and I applaud anyone that can speak so frankly about it. I read the entire novel in two short days, and found myself alternately laughing out loud and crying just as hard as I did the day I sat in the ICU, talking to the doctors about organ donation.

Extremely well written. Thank you for such a touching memoir.

[RENTingFAME]

Posted: 2/19/06 at 1:30pm

<3 <3 <3... I read it from cover to cover in one sitting in the middle of the night on Feb. 7th. The 8th I went to his book signing and had to try very hard not to gush about how amazing it was. I did write him a letter though, with many thanks and comments about his fabulousness. :)

Your reviews are great guys! I'm glad so many people love the book.