4th Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

His Bright Light by Danielle Steel. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1998. Genre: Non Fiction

His Bright Light is about a boy named Nick Traina and his losing battle to manic depression. From an early age, Nick’s mother Danielle knew something was wrong with Nick despite his brilliant and charming ways. He was the perfect child. Entertaining, polite and provided a whole family with lots of laughs. As Nick was to age, his problems seemed to take over him. For years his mother didn’t know what was wrong with him. After years of therapists and doctor visits, Nick remained undiagnosed, even with his sickness getting worse. He was becoming more angry and upset with himself, until he was diagnosed with manic depression. Nick’s life would consist of years and years of therapy, suicide attempts, and medication. He was at a battle against himself, one that in the end he could not win.


“Hope has come to each of us, in different ways, like final gifts from Nick. Spring will come, and many summers, and there will be holidays without him, when we will remember all too clearly when he was with us. But the memories linger, the sweet perfume of all he brought. He left each of us something, a gift, a dream, a memory, a little more courage than we had before, a bigger dream than we might have had without him. Life is about dreams, and hope and courage, the courage to go on, even after those we love have left us. And in our hearts, Nick isn’t gone.” (Last Page: 291)

Danielle Steel has a particularly unique sense of writing style throughout this book. She recalls painful memories of her child growing up with his illness. I admire Danielle for being able to write an entire book about the son she lost. I especially admire the way she is able to talk about all the good and wonderful tings he accomplished, knowing all the bad things that also happened in the back of her mind. Nick didn’t mean to hurt anyone and he simply couldn’t control his feelings and emotions. The some of the things Danielle remembered Nick saying to her were some pretty terrible things. I was angry with him but realized, he was sick, and really couldn’t help it. He was at a battle against himself every day of his life. The book also consists of pictures and poems and song lyrics Nick wrote. Along with letters they wrote to each other. I felt like this book was very personal, and was surprised how Danielle let her reader’s experience her past. At times I wish I had been there to be her shoulder to cry on.

I overall really enjoyed this book. I liked the way Danielle really let you into her life. She didn’t just give you a brief description of her son’s life. She let you in as if you were actually there. This story also made me realize what manic depression is, and how serious it is. I had never thought it could lead to suicide like in Nick’s case. It opened my eyes to a new kind of illness. It also opened my eyes to what suffering and hurting is really like. Never in my life have I known someone to suffer like Danielle and her family had. It also got my thinking about having my brother die. Nick left behind seven siblings. I can only imagine what they were going through, their big brother gone from their lives forever. After reading this book, it really makes me what to look into reading more of Danielle Steel’s pieces of writing. Overall this story really moved me, which was something I wasn’t expecting, but in a way I was glad it did.