The Book of Kehls [Paperback]

When Bridget Moore left Ireland in 1865, she never suspected that along with her trunk and rosary beads, she was bringing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to New York City. It wasn't until Bridget was a grandmother, one who had buried four of her grandsons, that she realized she'd brought MD to the States, a disease that would haunt her family for generations. Years later, her great-grandchildren grew up under the elevated trains of Jackson Heights, Queensand one of them was Christine Kehl O'Hagan, the author of this moving and insightful memoir.

Christine, her sister Pam, and their brother Richie played in the streets and attended mass every Sunday. But Richie had trouble walking. By the time he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, Christine learned that two of her mother's brothersuncles she'd never known abouthad died of MD. Christine eventually married and had a healthy son. But one day she saw her second boy, Jamie, struggle to climb onto the school busand she knew knew then and there that this disease would be with her the rest of her life.

Extraordinarily written, with much honesty and humor,The Book of Kehlsis the engaging story of a family that has known love, courage, and heartbreak in equal measureand survived.

1. This book is a true story of one family's struggle with a fatal diseaseand a carefully crafted narrative. What are some of the techniques that O'Hagan used to create characters that involve us deeply in her story?
2. Why did O'Hagan choose to present her son Jamie's death scene in the prologue? Do you agree with the decision to begin the memoir on such an intense note?
3. Though this memoir is sad, it is also funny. What impact does humor have on your experience of the book?
4. During much of the book, O'Hagan grapples with her desire for a life that matters. Discuss whether her desire was fulfilled.
5. In several emotionally charged passages, the author describes the grief that she and her husband elƒ>