“Judge, Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards”

Below is a Judge’s commentary on DRÉA’S DREAM:

DRÉA’S DREAM is a most moving book, beautifully written and designed. Frankly, this judge was floored by the talent and passion Susan Rizzo Vincent brings to her subject: the remarkable life, tragic death, and flowering legacy of her daughter, Andréa Rizzo.
All the mechanics are excellent: sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, spelling. Ms Rizzo Vincent’s sensitivity and clarity of expression is outstanding. The book is well edited and carefully proofread. Very nice job on the photos as well. Congratulations on a thoroughly professional presentation.

Often books like this are simply: ‘Once upon a time, a terrible thing happened to me. The end.’ No perspective gained. By contrast, Ms Rizzo Vincent details the pain and tragedy she and her family endured, but what an ongoing story of inspiration after that! This book is not simply the story of Susan and Andréa, but of a significant non-profit therapeutic organization that emerged from both their lives. DRÉA’S DREAM is thus of greater consequence than many other memoirs.

I like the book’s structure, with an intriguing beginning, though the generous details of the spa-like hotel experience could be cut a bit without harm. Readers might be curious about the seemingly communal family situation of the Rizzos, which is described somewhat vaguely.

The subsequent back-to-the-beginning chronology works well. The ‘Lessons I Learned’ sections offer readers concrete ideas to employ in the face of whatever similar difficulties they may be facing. The technical medical information is told in good detail and proportion to the rest of the story.

DRÉA’S DREAM is a very, very fine book.