". . . a tale with many dimensions told with novelistic confidence" ". . . a must-read for anyone who is faced with the task of caring for and supporting a loved one with a tragic, progressive illness." After months of puzzling symptoms, Kenneth Kann's dad is diagnosed with a "dread disease," amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. His dad and mom try to grasp this life-shattering news. It triggers disturbing realizations that at thirty-five, a proud survivor of sixties radicalism and the counterculture, Kenneth is leading a marginal life as a freelance writer and part-time teacher in Berkeley California. He is still battling with his dad. He is not prepared for his dad to be sick. He cannot absorb what he reads about ALS and what may happen to his dad. He is stunned by his parents' tears. He goes home to help his mom, his dad, and himself.