Dear Great Book Guru,  My friends and I were talking recently about a new book we would like to use for our monthly book discussion. It is a story of a family here on Long Island who deals with a devastating medical ordeal  The book reads like an unfolding mystery.  Are you familiar with it? – can’t remember the name.  Interested Reader

Dear Interested Reader, Yes - I recently read IN THE FACE OF CATASTROPHE by Jennifer Rose Goldman and Caryn Meg Hirshleifer, a remarkable tale of bravery and familial devotion.  Told from the perspectives of parents, a sibling, friends, and medical personnel, the book does indeed read like a novel with suspense and colorful characterization throughout. The story opens as Jenn, a thirty-one-year-old woman begins her workday in a well-known North Shore clothing store on – yes - the Miracle Mile! Moments into the day she suffers a massive stroke and so begins an incredible story of pain, trauma, fear, and devotion in which a seeming tragedy turns into a tale of extraordinary love and healing. Jenn, her parents and sister Amanda each tell in their own words their feelings, reactions, and the part they play during a year of unbelievable ups and downs.  Much is lost but much is gained as each of them finds strength in the face of the unknown.  There are echoes of the biblical tale of Job and his misfortunes as calamity after calamity befall the family, but the outcome is suffused with grace and gratitude.  A remarkable book that should be read by all - highly recommended!