Review: Five Days Left

Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I couldn't put this one down. Scott is a white middle school teacher in Detroit. He and his wife have become foster parents to an 8 yr old African-American boy, Curtis, whose mother is in jail on drug charges. Curtis' mother has been released from jail, and as the book opens, Curtis is scheduled to return to his mother's custody --- in 5 days. Scott is heartbroken, but his wife is thrilled that they are done with fostering. Mara has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, and the disease is progressing more quickly than she and her family hoped. She has decided to end her life on her birthday --- in 5 days. The story of these 5 days in both their lives is told in alternating chapters. The author's style reminded me of Jodie Picoult as did the tough questions that Scott and Mara have to ask themselves.

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