My Favorite Book and A Close Second

I recently finished reading for about the hundredth time (only a slight exaggeration) my all-time favorite book. The title is Karen, and it's a memoir, written by Karen's mother, of her family's 

striving to help her overcome the challenges of cerebral palsy. This might not sound very interesting, or unusual, except that Karen was born in 1940, and at the time of her diagnoses

of cerebral palsy, it was very common for parents to put cerebral palsied children away in institutions, or even shut them away in their homes. Miracles abound in Karen's life, starting with her survival of premature birth and low birth weight before NICU existed, through her learning to read and write, and her determination to learn to walk. This is a very warm, at times funny yet

very moving story. It was on the best-seller list after it's publication in (I think) the '50's. 

The sequel, With Love from Karen, continues the story of the family's struggles and triumphs. 

I can't recommend these books highly enough. If you're feeling depressed, reading them will truly lift your spirits.