All the Kings Horses, All the Kings Men is a deeply moving account of the life of the author's son, previous to and following the discovery of the presence of a tumour in his bones, a result of Osteogenic Sarcoma. The story begins at the beginning - with Jonathan's birth. A first-time mother, the author has her life and her home carefully planned and prepared in anticipation of the arrival of 'Boots'. She is soon to realize that having a child is not something one can plan; they arive when they like and they occupy one's thoughts and affections to such an extent that all the best-laid plans for going back to her career make less and less sense. After a year, the author makes the decision to become a 'full-time, on-location mom'. The closeness that this allows to develop is to stand her and her son in good stead for the difficult time to come when Jonathan's illness is discovered. The author's prose is fluid and articulate, conveying with ease the deep love which she feels for her son. The description of these carefree early years draws the reader into their extraordinary story, so that he too feels affection for this boy at whom life is about to throw its worst, whilst the day-to-day struggle which is to follow is a lesson in courage for us all. This is a well-written book, with an important message for parents, parents-to-be, and anyone who has felt and given the precious love unique to parent and child.
