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Review: The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ailsa was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. At age 28, her heart is failing, and she now lives full-time in a hospital Palliative Care Zone. The book starts with the news of a compatible heart and the medical staff rushing Ailsa to the operation room to receive it. The transplant is successful, and the story follows Ailsa as she copes with her new heart and lease on life.

This is a beautifully written story. The life of Ailsa is not unique as so many people wait every day for an opportunity to receive a most needed organ transplant. My cousin and best-friend, Benoît, was born with Cystic Fibrosis. When he was an infant, his parents were told that he would not live past 14 years old. He celebrated his 14th birthday with gusto. Then his parents were told that he would not see age 21, yet he did. As the years went by, more and more treatment options became available, giving Benoît more years to live. In his early 30s, the disease was winning and Benoît was desperately waiting for a lung transplant. No match was found, and he passed away. I still miss him a lot today.

Throughout the book, the organ donation subject comes again and again. A lot of people have a hard time thinking about donating their organs. The author of this wonderful book presents this subject in a very positive manner. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

🙋🏼‍♀️ A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a final copy of this moving book. The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland will be available at your favourite bookstore on October 29, 2019.

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