Five Days

How many days does it take to change a life?Twelve-year-old Byron does not know what lies ahead of him, he does not know how his life will be changed. All he does know is that he's been sent out to play in the garden while his beloved father visits. And he knows his mother's cough is getting worse. He also knows that people are ignoring him and not telling him what is really happening. This novella is set over five different days, over five consecutive months, as Bryon faces loss and grief and an adult world that is rushing past him.
This story is a child's eye view of terminal illness and loss, asking awkward questions about how we treat children when faced with it, do parents always know best?If you enjoyed the novels of David Leavitt, Michael Arditti, Maria McCann, Michael Cunningham and Jodi Picoult, why not try this novella.