Book dossier

Armfuls of time

by Barbara M. Sourkes

"I just wish that I had armfuls of time." With these poignant words a four-year-old reminds us of the fragility of life and of the wisdom and courage of children with life-threatening illnesses. Armfuls of Time eloquently portrays the psychological experience of such children, who are irreversibly changed from the moment of diagnosis. How they live with life-threatening illness is the subject of this remarkable book. Barbara M. Sourkes specializes in psychotherapy with children with cancer and other serious diseases. Her first book, The Deepening Shade, is an elegant synthesis of the psychology of life-threatening illness. In Armfuls of Time, she provides a window into her therapy sessions, allowing us to listen with her to the children's stories and conversations and to see their drawings. Her therapeutic techniques enable the children to express the experience of living with the threat of loss. Her analyses and interpretations lead the reader into a world of extraordinary challenges and exceptional resilience.