In this classic memoir, a distinguished journalist chronicles his son's battle with brain cancer that ended with his death at seventeen.

"If courage is the antidote to pain and grief, the disease and the cure are both in this book. . . . A story of great unselfishness and great heroism." —New York Times

Johnny Gunther was only seventeen years old when he died of a brain tumor. During the months of his illness, everyone near him was unforgettably impressed by his level-headed courage, his wit and quiet friendliness, and, above all, his unfaltering patience through times of despair. This deeply moving book is a father's memoir of a brave, intelligent, and spirited boy.

"A heartbreaking tale, beautifully written." —The New Yorker

"To read it is to grasp the meaning of man's power to defy Death's hurt, to be filled with confidence and emptied of despair. It will bring fresh spirit to the weary, new confidence and light to those who walk in shadow." —New York Herald Tribune