This is a true story written about Courtenay’s youngest son, Damon, who was born a haemophiliac and then became HIV positive as a result of contaminated Factor VIII, the clotting factor required to be used every time he had a “bleed”. Happening in a time when HIV/AIDS was still a very new disease with a social stigma attached to it, and when the medical profession’s knowledge of treating the disease was far from well developed, Damon struggled through the last eyars of his life. The story is brutally honest and not an easy one to read but Courtenay tells of a loving family and a young man with amazing spirit. It is inspiring to read, but a tragic story as well.
Filed under: Recent Reads, memoir
[...] and easy to read. The Potato Factory is probably one of the best of his books. I also enjoyed April Fool’s Day (although “enjoyed” might not be the right word, given that the book follows the true [...]