Walks on the Beach with Angie: A Father's Story of Love
by Don Warner with Marly Cornell
Published by North Star Press of St. Cloud
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Reviewed by Bob Pike CSP, CPAE
Angie Warner was a bright, pretty fun-loving teenager with a secret. And for over twenty years she kept that secret from nearly everyone but her closest family members. Throughout those twenty years she lived an apparently normal life. She did well in school, was a varsity cheerleader, dated on and off, had time for close friends, and reached out to everyone with a brilliant smile.
And through it all she carried within her a chronic illness that would periodically sap her strength, would require never-ending daily multiple therapies and periodic hospitalization and would take her from this earth early: Cystic Fibrosis. I can identify with this story because my two youngest sons, Andrew and John, now in their mid 20s have the same disease and have been treated at the same hospital with the same doctors.
Don Warner tells Angie’s story through a father’s eyes. It is a story not only of Angie’s love for her parents, Don and Linda, and for her many friends, but also a story of their love for her. It chronicles her unique decision to not let anyone outside of a small inner circle know of her disease to avoid misplaced pity and to experience as much of the normal life her friends experienced as possible.
The title of the book comes from the many walks Angie and her Dad took on her favorite beach at their favorite vacation spot. It is a father’s recollection of their many conversations, the tough choices she needed to make, and the grace and peace with which she led her life–including the final 86 painful days.
Read this book if you want to understand how one girl and her family chose to live life to the fullest despite a chronic and debilitating illness. Read this book if you want to experience examples of unconditional love. Read this book if you want to see how options can be explored and choices made–when there don’t seem to be any options or choices. Read this book if you want to be reminded of the strength of the human spirit.
Armchair Interviews says: Many good reasons to read this book full of love.