Organ-Donation Books

Jess Riley's debut book Driving Sideways is a novel that will have you laughing and nodding your head as you connect with the characters and their adventures. Jess has written an engaging story about Leigh who has received a donated kidney and her exploits that follow as she goes on a road trip to meet the donor and find out much more about herself. The trip takes her from Wisconsin to California where fun quirky people enter Leigh's life. Can't wait to read her next novel!

I picked Driving Sideways up on a whim and am incredibly glad I did. Leigh Fielding is an endearing, snarky, down-to-earth character who embarks on a road trip to get a new lease on life after receiving a kidney transplant. Over the past few years she has lived with her brother and his wife and has trudged through a limited life of hospitals, medicine and careful eating. With a new kidney, she leaves her brother's care to find her mother and to hopefully receive some long-awaited answers.

Leigh soon discovers that nothing goes as planned and when things go from exciting to hilarious to disappointing, she realizes there are alternate routes to living a fulfilled life.

Twenty-eight-year-old Leigh Fielding has a new chance at life thanks to Larry Resnick, a man she's never met - or more precisely, thanks to Larry's kidney. After five years on dialysis, Leigh is given the gift of a new kidney and a renewed sense of optimism; after all, for a long time she thought she wouldn't see her thirtieth birthday. Inspired by Larry and his gift, Leigh does what anyone who has been hooked up to a machine three days a week would want to do - she gets out of her hometown of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

A road trip seems like the perfect way to start her new life. Planning out stops along the way (visiting friends Meg and Jillian, dropping in unannounced on Larry's grandmother to thank her for his gift and find out more about him), her ultimate destination is California. There her mother disappeared to when she left Leigh, her brother, James, and their father, who killed himself about a year later. However, along the way, something unexpected happens - Leigh picks up a hitchhiker. Seventeen-year-old Denise is a runaway from her foster home, hiding from a bad boyfriend. She asks Leigh to take her along to California and Leigh, feeling daring with her new lease on life, agrees to the companionship, though she doesn't entirely trust Denise. Together they embark on a hilarious and unforgettable journey across the country and find parts of themselves scattered along the way.

Driving Sideways is charming, insightful, and wonderfully funny. It is a story of self-discovery and loss, of hope and despair. The characters are incredibly well-written, and it is easy to sympathize with their stories. Though Leigh has had renal failure, she doesn't dwell in this place of darkness. Instead, she is irreverent and whimsical, only wanting the chance to live. After all, the doctors told her that the new kidney isn't a cure - it is simply a treatment that may fail in time. Leigh is careful with her new kidney, not taking any chances that might put Larry in harm's way. Sometimes that is the hardest part of reading a novel like this, watching the protagonist head down a spiral that is certain to lead to their own destruction (I can have just one drink, I'll be okay). The reader sees it, the other characters in the book see it, yet it happens anyways - frustrating and unpleasant to read. The fact that Leigh actually takes her sickness seriously and, while tempted, does not stray from her strict diet and healthy lifestyle is refreshing and a welcome change in novels in general.

The most appealing aspect of Driving Sideways would have to be Jess Riley's sense of humor. The novel is witty and fun with more than a few laugh-out-loud parts. Though it is about a very long roadtrip, the narrative itself doesn't drag butt goes quickly; Riley keeps readers interested (and amused) through the twists and turns of the roads that Leigh finds herself upon. The novel has a lot of heart and emotion, but it is never cheesy or sappy, demonstrative of Riley's talent as a writer. She manages to touch her readers and evoke the emotions she wants them to feel without telling them to do so. It is a mark of her ability to write sympathetic and believable characters that the reader really does care about.

Driving Sideways is a winning debut novel and is a wonderful showcase of Jess Riley's talent as an author. Whether her next book is a sequel to her first or an entirely new story, I will be first in line to see what else she can do with her impressive capacity as a writer.

Originally published at Curled Up With a Good Book

love Young Adult novels with a message and this book, Driving Sideways, written by Jess Riley rates right up there.First off, I loved the cover - simple - but yet sends the message of a free summer! road trip - just having a great time (ah, the good old days :)

Driving Sideways has a wonderful premise; Leigh has been diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease ( I have to admit that I had never heard of this before) and although it is scary and serious, Leigh managest to get a kidney transplant from a donor who has died. Now, after rehabilitation and the blessing of her doctor, Leigh has decided to take a roadtrip - with a multi purpose, which includes meeting up with an ex-boyfriend, meeting up with her best friend in an attempt to talk some sense into her, meeting up with the family of her kidney donor and meeting up with her mother, who deserted Leigh when she was but a child.
This is definitely a coming of age novel which is absolutely beautifully written. Leigh is an incredibly likeable character who is engaging and extremely fun to read. As you travel, on the road trip alongside of her, you will feel as though you are actually sitting in the car next to her. Author Jess Riley has a knack for describing scenery and situations that make it easy to picture them in your head and Leigh has a knack for getting herself into the strangest situations.
At the end of this novel, Leigh will find some closure and she will also find a level of maturity that she was probably not expecting to find.

I loved, loved this book and I recommend it as a feel good read.

Jess Riley wrote a FANTASTIC debut novel! I tore my way through this book, and I can't wait to read her next one. MUST BUY!

I think everyone remembers hearing about little Nicholas, only seven
years old, killed by highway robbers in Italy. His family donated his
organs and started a rash of others doing to in Europe and throughout
the world. This is his story as told by his father. The wonderful
effect of that act made me want to give the book a better review. The
father's attitude made me want to give it a worse one, so it's right
in the middle. Maybe I would feel differently had I not read this
book directly following John Walsh's book. Walsh seemed like an
ordinary man doing his best to cope with extraordinary circumstances.
Green seems like a man who's enjoying all of the attention. His
writing style isn't great either. He flitters around topics in a
disjointed manner and goes about his mind's own ethical ramblings far
to often.

I would like to start by saying Snoogy Cat, you do not know what you are talking about. Reg Green is a man who dedicates his life to getting out the message of organ donation. He uses the media attention to spread the word of donating life. Almost weekly he goes to meetings and conferences (at his own expense) to try and convince people to do their part to save lives. This story is one of compassion, love, and breaking barriers. Reg Green is witty and intelligent, and does his job in convincing me to do whatever I need to do for this cause.

Gist: An extraordinary boy meets an extraordinary fate, producing extraordinary effects: After Nicholas, a young traveller to Italy, is killed, his parents' gesture of donating his organs ignites the gratitude of the world. Hammock-time: Requires no more than a long week-end to absorb via your hammock or beach chair. The book is fast-paced and relatively slim compared to the encyclopaedic nature of some non-fiction works. Substance: When the tragedy happened, I wept. When I saw the film starring Jamie Lee Curtis, I wept. And I wept again when I read this book. I thought at first it was because I'm Italian-American, but so many non-Italians around the world have been touched by the Greens' story. I had begun to lose faith in this world, especially dismayed by the New Thought/New Age field, with their greedy, plagiarizing (long dead philosophers are robbed boldly) authors, some truly inane ones sanctioned by Oprah, with their ineffectual techniques -- unproductive affirmations, visualizations, rigidity of mind that everything must have a reason, etc. etc. Yet the Greens, even though the father, Reg Green, is most likely an agnostic, restore my faith, refresh my soul. Something beautiful upholds this world, deeper than the surface chaos and craziness, and superficial philosophies that seek to explain life. A subtle chiascuro effect underlines this book: of deep dark pain playing against light-filled love. Reg Green's sense of humor creates a delightful poignancy. I sense many readers like myself will re-read the book. It's difficult to analyze, but I left sensing stronger than ever that an afterlife truly does exist. My heart goes out to the Greens, and to my fellow spiritual seekers who need a book like this to understand and experience the concepts of love, attunement -- concepts freed from the manipulative twists by a good ole guru network of popular authors who claim to know such truths. Complementary book: Can You Drink The Cup? by the late Fr. Henri Nouwen, is Christian-oriented, but it so lyrically and sensitively explores the universal experiences of love and grief, I enjoyed reading it, as what I'd term a sort of Seekers' Survival Guide, concurrently with the Green book.

As a liver transplant recepient almost four years ago, I had heard of the Nicholas effect. Shortly before reading this book, I discovered through a letter from my donor family that my donor had been inspired to sign his donor card based on Nicholas Green. This book is a stunning and true story of a boy's life, a family's grief and the heroic decision to make a difference to many others whom they did not know. Nicholas Green is still making a difference today becuase his story continues to ripple outward as when a pebble is dropped into a pond. I URGE you to read this book for yourself and prepared to be touched.

There is a verse in the bible which reads "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil by doing good." Reg and Maggie Green have embraced this creed wholeheartedly. When their beautiful son was senselessly murdered in late 1994, instead of sinking into the depths of grief, they proved how well he had taught them about the power of love during his brief time on earth by using his example to save millions of lives around the world. If such a tragic thing were to happen to me, I hope that my actions would be identical to theirs. I thank Reg and Maggie for sharing little Nicholas with the world and I am sure he would be very proud of them (as we all are). Through their unselfish and life affirming actions, they have proven yet again that the power of good will never be overcome by the power of evil.

Even though I figured out some of the story lines before they actually happened, this was still a great, thought-provoking story. The story jumped around a little bit, being told from different characters' perspectives and different time periods (flashbacks, present) but I finally kept it all straight. Would recommend this book.

Every year at the Intl. Booksellers Convention my husband goes around picking up books by every author he chances to meet. THE GOOD NEARBY is one he brought home this year from Atlanta. I have a hard time shutting off my inner editor when reading and am especially harsh with Christian fiction. I am happy to say THE GOOD NEARBY is one of the best I've read in three years of collecting books at these conventions.

Ms. Moser allowed me to get lost in the lives of her characters. How refreshing. Every time I closed the book, I couldn't wait until the next opportunity to get back to it.

This is the first book by Nancy Moser I've read, but believe me, it won't be the last. Her characters are real and endearing, sometimes maddening, just like real people. Thank you, Ms. Moser for an excellent read. Very highly recommended

Nancy Moser has illustrated a superior ability to weave the insights of several in-depth characters into one very compelling story. She shows the trials and triumphs of life with honesty and compassion, and has a way of making the reader care about these characters without gratuitous manipulation of our emotions. In other words, she has written a heart-wrenching story without being sappy. An excellent read!

In my opinion this is one of Nancy's best books, along with The Seat Beside Me, and the Mustard Seed series. I would encourage Nancy and the publisher to give thought to making this a series, similar to the Mustard Seed.

The Good Nearby is both a "feel good" and "feel sad" book. That's how life is today, too, at times being both good and sad.

A fast moving plot and realistic characters.

A shorter version of this review was first posted on Christian Book Previews site.

The Good Nearby is loaded with conflict and intriguing characters. Margery wants to be treated with respect and loved by her husband. But her greatest longing is to have a child. She believes that is her purpose in life--what she was born to do. Angie wants to be unconditionally loved by her husband, whose need to control her at times is suffocating and maddening. She longs for peace. To be free to make her own choices. Gladys is losing her sight. She desperately needs to give and receive love, but she has always been strong and self-sufficient. For her, to soften and let someone into her heart is perceived as weak, something she refuses to be.

Gennifer is a successful attorney with a health condition so shameful to her that she won't even tell her husband or daughter. Her emotional withdrawal pushes her husband toward another woman, and her daughter toward a female mentor, thus sending Gennifer's core relationships into a crisis mode. But for Gennifer to admit her need for support is too painful, so she holds back and suffers alone, until God grabs ahold of her heart.

Talia's husband is going to die if he doesn't get a heart transplant. So not only does Talia have to take care of her two-year-old and her husband, but she has to keep the house in order, cook, work full-time to pay the bills, and to top all that...she's seven months pregnant. She longs for rest; to feel desired and wanted. Her boss distracts her when he pays her the kind of attention her husband used to lavish on her. She longs for her Christian husband to be well, to take back control of the finances, and to have a love life again. But she refuses to ask God to help her until she feels him slipping away.

And finally there is Gigi, the lost and abandoned child who is a very quirky character--and I loved her. She's obsessed with the number 96 and thinks anything connected with that number is lucky. She also is entralled with the idea of death because her grandmother tought her about faith, and her grandmother said she looked forward to dying because she would be with the Lord. Gigi is told by her grandmother before her death that Gigi will be the good nearby if she lets God work in her life. As Gigi grows up she struggles to survive emotionally, and forgets some of the things she learned as a young girl from her grandmother, the only person who had genuinely loved her. God brings those memories back as she goes through hard times. He redeems her pain for His glory.

The Good Nearby moved me to tears...of joy. It's the most fantastic redemption story I've ever read besides the Bible. It's also the best illustration I've seen of how God takes our pain and makes beauty from the ashes of our lives. Gigi's character is written in the first person. The reader sees the world through Gigi's eyes. The other characters are written in the third person so you know what they are thinking, but the way it's done is so amazing and powerful that it's hard to explain.

Experiencing The Good Nearby is like examining a tapestry from the back side. You see some attractive places, but you also find a lot of knots and stuff that doesn't resemble anything upon close examination. Just like the lives of the characters in this story. They are real, messed up people whom I could identify with. Not everyone is strong. In fact, many of us are dysfunctional and weak at times. The author beautifully illustrates their struggles in a way that makes you want to encourage them rather than slap them senseless. You see their history and exactly what led them to the place they were at in life. You also see what "had" to happen in their lives for God to reach their hearts. And of course, not everyone is reached. But that's real life.

As mentioned above, The Good Nearby is like examining a tapestry from the wrong side. Only at the end of the story the author flips it around and you see the beautiful work that God created as He moved in the characters' lives. For me, the experience was breathtaking. I found it absolutely amazing how the author transformed things at the end of the story. I'm convinced that God's hand is in this story. And just when I thought the loose ends came together with perfection, the author entwined a few more.

As a social worker I've seen miracles like this happen in real life, so none of it seemed contrived or unrealistic to me. In fact, this story blessed me so much I felt like I was coming out of my skin when I finished. I found it very difficult to explain to others, however, because there are so many characters with different problems that my listeners got lost in the details. So I just told people, "You just have to read the book. It'll change the way you see things and your heart will be forever changed." As I'm typing this review my eyes are filling with tears because I can feel the Holy Spirit moving. I give The Good Nearby my highest recommendation.

This is an inspiring story of how one man and his family walked down a long road of devastating medical challenges. David's story contains candid details of discouraging, frightening moments. But it is a story of hope, ending with the triumph of the successful transplant. His faith in God and his courage are evident across every page.

"An inspiring first hand account of the emotional roller coaster Dave's family rode, during his long and emphatic struggle to sustain life. A point of faith and hope for all who read this book."

Author of "A Step of Faith" and soon to be released "From Darkness to Light".

As a fellow heart transplant recipient "only" 13 years out now, it is always inspiring to read the life story of another fellow recipient who has led the way, being my "senior" in those 16 years post transplant. David tells his story with passion and insight, offering testimony to the human spirit that seemingly can overcome all odds (well, not ALL, but certainly able to climb lofty mountains of life challenge as his typifies)- serving as an inspiration to anyone facing their own unique life challenges, and isn't that what we need today, more inspirations like this?

David writes in easy to understand language of medical professional and family support along with a strong faith in God (imagine getting the call for a new heaert on Easter as a sign that God answers our prayers!). He endures more than many of us have had to with his transplant and life, but then that's what makes for good reading, right? Just don't fear transplant based on his many issues, that while each may be typical, most patients do not face all of them, but even if you did, isn't it great to hear they can be overcome as David's life story shows us?

Another important lesson learned from his story is the ever growing need (due to the success of the transplant process)for organ donors as (here in 2007...) over 100,000 patients await their own life saving organ transplant in the US alone. Inspired by David's story, give some thought to your own ability to save someone's life after your death through the gift of organ donation, then tell your family about your decision!

The main character of this book should never have had a heart attack in the beginning, but he did! The struggles which came later, dealing with a very sick heart and then a younger heart gives us some idea of the difficulties involved in the process of transplanting organs. Not knowing from one day to the next whether he would be alive or not, Mr. Hollar exhibits great faith in God as he navigates the inside world of organ transplants, doctors, nurses and hospitals. Having received a mystical assurance that he was not going to die, he set about to get well. The excellent medical care from all the hospital staff; the love and support of his family and his deep abiding faith all helped in overcoming this tragic catastrophic illness. A faithful testimony, indeed.

Martha McNeil Hamilton and Warren Brown built a friendship over more than twenty years of working together at The Washington Post. What is remarkable about their story is not that they are friends in spite of race (Hamilton is white, Brown is black), but that they have shared a life and death journey.

In November 2001, Hamilton gave Brown one of her kidneys and her generous act saved his life and made their friendship more than just a collegial bond. Brown's kidney transplant and how he and Hamilton came to their decisions is the central story of BLACK & WHITE & RED ALL OVER. Yet this memoir of their friendship accomplishes much more.

Both journalists are members of the baby boom generation born in the Jim Crow South. As they write, "We came to the Post in the middle of a revolution." In writing about their individual lives they provide a personal view of segregation, integration, women's integration into the workforce and even AIDS. Though the focus is clearly on their growing friendship and the transplant, these personal vignettes bring the book to life. And as the nation reconsiders policies such as affirmative action, Hamilton and Brown make it clear that they got in the door with such considerations and they stand behind the idea. They are also honest about why management can sometimes fail in carrying out the idea and therefore sour others on its promise: "The management [at the Post] had been so good at discriminating against blacks and women that at first it had a hard time discriminating amongst them."

Other tales, like that of Hamilton's post-divorce depression and Brown's concerns about his son, are more touching than historic. These moments ease the reading and provide buffers to the more complex information about kidney disease, renal failure and the dangerous miracle of organ transplants.

This friendship memoir also raises questions about how we view such bonds. When does the person you've worked with for years become a true friend? And as we spend more and more time at work, whether it's real time or time via email, cell phones and PDA devices, how do we successfully integrate work and family? For Hamilton and Brown, work and family have nearly become one, which created a broad network of support as the two readied for the transplant surgery.

It's unfortunate that a story about friends of different races sharing in this way is still extraordinary. Hopefully Hamilton and Brown are evidence of the existence of more cross-racial and cross-cultural friendships. Otherwise, what kind of revolution was it after all?

--- Reviewed by Bernadette Adams Davis

This is a terrific book....full of inspiration, love, hope....it describes a real, true and enduring friendship...between two unlikely people and how far one friend was willing to go to save the other. But, in the end, the book is about much more than friendship, its about how far we have come as a collective society--without some of the social progress of the last forty years or so, one man's life (and perhaps many more) might have been cut short; as a result of his friendship with a woman from a distinctly different background, he received an organ that has aided in extending his life a bit longer.

Both authors are dynamic, interesting people and the writing style is very accessible.

There is something for everyone in this book, whether you like biography, are interested in race relations, organ transplant, friendship, journalists, civil rights/affirmative action....whether you're a writer, a doctor, or just a friend....this is a book that I believe a lot of different people will treasure.

Pekkanen's approach (especially at the time of publication) to this controvertial subject is handled with extreme care and passion; "Donor" is a wonderful read.

I thought this book was magnificent. I remember reading it in junior high school, and even then it had a profounf effect on me as to how I saw being an organ donor, and more importantly, how good can come from tragedy.

Maggie and Jamie are the main characters in this christian love story. They have both lost somebody they loved dearly and never thought they could love again. Maggie's husband had been an organ donor and Jamie had been in an accident. They met when Maggie decided to get back into horseback riding. The author of Searching for Paul keeps your adrenalin flowing with the many surprising turn of events. This is one of those books that you have trouble putting down. I look forward to reading many more books from this author.

Searching For Paul is the lovely, heartwarming story of a young wife's attempt to deal with her beloved husband's death after only three years of marriage. A social worker, Maggie threads her way through her personal grief, insecurities and uncertainties as she strives to south though her wildly fluctuating feelings. In spite of warnings, common sense rarely comes into play even though she tries to focus on God's promises. Her love of horseback riding leads her to a horse farm and the complicated existence of Jamie McKellar. Maggie encounters unexpected twists and turns in her life after her first miserable meeting with the brusque and secretive man. Searching For Paul is a highly recommended, emotionally rewarding, wonderfully written romance novel of the first order.

This book was given to me by a concerned friend who read the book and couldn't believe how similiar my situation is to Elizabeth. I was a little hesitant because of the title but decided to read it anyway. I truly appreciate Elizabeth for putting her experience into words because this book put it all in perspective for me. It's not the end of the world! I'm not the only one. I am at the very, very begining of the process of liver transplantation and found this book to be comforting and informative. Everything I have gone thru so for is identical to Elizabeth's story. I also come from a family of 5 children and found that amazing. I would like to get in touch with Elizabeth. I am going to leave my e-mail address for anyone to contact me, especially Elizabeth. Thank you for putting you experience into words.

Everyone should read this book. In an eloquent and thoughtful way, the author tells the story of his heart transplant and what it means to him and the donor's family. He also gives helpful advice about the transplant maze. Jeffrey Lueders is a terrific writer whose voice needs to be heard. I recommend it highly. This is the kind of book that the major publishing companies should be jumping on, but all they care about is the latest celebrity fluff.