A Gift of Hope
The central theme here--that hope endures despite crisis--is standard for the genre, but Melendez's story, from his Nicaraguan birth as an armless "thalidomide baby" to his musical performance before Pope John Paul II, is told with real power. The family's struggles, the move to America for medical reasons, his mother's single-minded faith, and his father's tragic disintegration under prejudice and oppression--all come vividly to life. Most moving of all is Tony's own stubborn joie de vivre. A shining tale, highly recommended.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.