Description
Book Synopsis'Life is not defined by the bad things that happen to us. It certainly isn't for me.'
Written for her young son so that he would know what had happened to his mother, Cynthia Banham's inspiring family memoir uncovers a true picture of what survival means:
'This book tells a story that I tried to write many times before, but couldn't. For a long time, it was too painful to tell. It is also one I hadn't known how to tell. It had to be more than a story about surviving a plane crash, a random event without intrinsic meaning.'
Unable until now to write her own story, Cynthia found that the lives of her Italian grandfather, Alfredo, and his intriguing older sister, Amelia, resonated with her own. Discovering their sacrifice, joy, fear and love, from Trieste to Germany and America, and finally to Australia, their stories mirror and illuminate Cynthia's own determination and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity.
From a remarkable writer, and told with unflinching honesty and compassion, A Certain Light speaks to the heart of what really matters in life.
Trade ReviewAs her book progresses, she is able to circle closer and closer to the event itself, to stare at the sun. The account she tenders is harrowing but clear-eyed. The inheritance Banham is determined to leave is not sorrow, but resilience anchored in a profound and fierce love. As
A Certain Light powerfully attests, this was her inheritance, too. * The Australian *
