Fate was working against little Brian Mauretti. The food that was meant to nourish him was poisoning him instead, and the doctors said the damage was devastating and absolute. Fate had written off Brian. But fate didn’t count on a woman as determined as Brian’s grandmother, Angela DiMartino – who everyone knew as Mama. Loving her grandson with everything she had, Mama endeavored to battle fate. Fate had no idea what it was in for.
An emotional tale about the strength of family bonds, unconditional love, and the perseverance to do our best with the challenging gifts we receive, Goodnight, Brian is an uplifting tribute to what happens when giving up is not an option.
Read an Excerpt from the Book
Enough time had passed for the shock of Brian’s condition to wear
off. Joan had stumbled beyond the grieving process and had given up
negotiating with God. She was now at a place called rage. Mama sat with
her daughter at the kitchen table, trying to help her make sense of it
all. “Maybe Brian’s a test from God?” Mama suggested. “Why would God test a little baby who’s never done a thing wrong? Why would He test an innocent child?” Joan snapped back. Mama shook her head. “I didn’t say God was testing Brian,” she said
evenly. There was a thoughtful pause. “Maybe He’s testing everyone
around Brian?” “I don’t want to hear that!” Joan roared. “My son will never be able to enjoy the life of other people who don’t…” Mama slapped her hand on the Formica table, stopping Joan in
mid-sentence and turning her face into that of a seven-year-old girl’s.
“Not another negative word, do you hear me?” she yelled back, quickly
grabbing her daughter’s hands and holding them tightly. “Positive, Joan –
everything must be positive! Negative calls for negative and positive
brings forth positive. Brian’s already facing some unfair challenges. We
have to be positive, Joan. We just have to be!” Joan wiped her eyes. “But what if the doctor’s right, Ma?” she muttered in a tortured voice. “What if…”Without letting Joan’s hands go, Mama took a deep breath and started
in on her own tirade. “The doctors don’t know what the hell they’re
talking about! I had a grandmother who lived her whole life as a brittle
diabetic, but she ate anything she wanted. She died three days before
her eighty-fifth birthday. Your grandfather supposedly had cirrhosis of
the liver, but lived with his bottle for forty more years until old age
took him. They don’t know beans! Besides, we need to have faith in a
higher source.” She pulled her crucifix away from her neck and kissed
it. “You have to believe, Joan. Before any of the healing can take
place, you have to believe that it will.” She nodded and lowered her
tone. “Only God knows how… and that’s enough.” Joan placed her face in her hands and began to cry. She was now
completely removed from her rage and safely returned to the stage of
grief. “I’m…just… so…scared,” she stuttered, sobbing. Mama stroked her hair. “Don’t you worry, love. They say that children
are raised by a village.” She nodded her gray, curly head. “I think
it’s about time we had a village meeting.”
Early Praise:
“Steven Manchester has a gift for expressing through his writing the complicated and transcendent beauty of the human experience with poignant clarity.”
– Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King
“Steven Manchester’s Goodnight, Brian is a poignant, inspiring story about resilience and faith and one family’s enduring love that should be a model for us all.”
– James S. Hirsch, bestselling author, Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend
“Steven has once again proven his deep insight into human emotions and relations and his ability to craft a well written and entertaining story that also has the power to inspire courage and hope. Goodnight, Brian is a fine read.”
– Bob Price, WPZZ Radio Personality
Steven Manchester is the published author of the #1 best seller, Twelve Months, as well as A Christmas Wish (the holiday prequel to Goodnight, Brian). He is also the Pressed Pennies, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy and Jacob Evans, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of his short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Links
