Disaster Falls: A Family Story by Stephane Gerson

Disaster Falls: A Family Story by Stephane Gerson is a newly published true life

story chronicling the grief of losing a child.  This low profile book, with its minimalist yet cover design gives little clue to the honestly raw, heartfelt account of the author's painful re-telling of the death of his son while on a family vacation.  Ironically a fun, hope filled family vacation turned into a remorseful tragedy.  With the authenticity that only a grieving author has, Stephane Gerson reaches out to the reader in his open and vulnerable life story.  In the end this book cannot neatly fit into any single category.  It can be a memoir or biographical account.  Or it may be compared to a personal journal written by a grieving father who is trying to cope with an unimaginable tragedy.  Even as the reader reads the author's words, it is clear that the depth of the tragic loss is great.  It is painful to read as the reader gathers that even the author himself can barely re-tell the specifics of the account of his son's death.  In fact, you must read through the first half of the book at least until you get the details of his son's death.  And even as the author slowly reveals these details, it is clear by the disjointed and uncertain language, that this is an authentic, and unaltered account in which the author has full transparency before the reader. For an honest account of the journey of grief- this is the book to pick up.  It seems almost more like a personal journal than a book in fact.  Anyone who reads this book will certainly gain new clarity and insight into grief and for those readers who are in the midst of grief it is a comfort to know you are not alone.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Crown for the purpose of writing this review.