And so the story continues... Willin had wrapped the book in a nice Christmas themed wrapper.
Little did I know that what lay beneath its pages would be so heart warming and sad yet so reminiscent of Jo.
You see the book was written by Ms Heng San San, mother of Ashley who had since passed away. Ashley was a bubbly girl, so full of life and energy. She enjoyed the stuff that little kids liked - swimming, running, dancing, skipping... But most of all, she enjoyed FOOD. She liked trying new foods and baking some of them, with mum's help of course.
You can read the article in the link above or here in Asiaone
Went I reached home and read thru the book,
I was tearing uncontrollably.
My heart was broken because of the loss I had read...and obviously because it was a near mirror reflection of Jo. One was 7, the other 37. Both suffered a great deal and yet rose thru the ordeal because of their deep rooted faith in our Heavenly Father.
She too loved to eat and bake. I still remember the Yellow Kitchen-Aid mixer I'd gotten for her in the early days. She was awestruck and so happy. Her favourite recipes were cookies, Tiramisu, cheese cake, lemon and orange drizzle pound cakes.
Joanne would in her better days (between chemo treatments) call her girlfriends over to bake or cook in our home. They would try their fav recipes from the ABC's Delicious or BBC's Good Food magazines.
Jo loved food and she loved to try new restaurants.
I leave you with the backcover write up of the book..
“There was once a little girl who loved everything about food.” And thus begins the charming story of Ashley, whose great love for all things associated with
food - simple or fancy - offers an amusing peek into her world of innocent
single-mindedness.
When her ability to enjoy what used to be an integral source of nourishment, comfort and indulgence was gradually diminished, Ashley showed that her irrepressible spirit in the face of a debilitating illness was rooted in an understanding of an even greater love: God’s love for her. Her unequivocal belief in a loving God makes for a tender story that is tinged with longing as well as unparalleled hope.
This poignant story of a little girl who loved food and foremost, God, will appeal to readers of all ages as it celebrates what it means to rise above our situations with courage and extraordinary grace.
To buy the book Ashley, priced at $25,email inquiries to: bookashley@gmail.com
Proceeds go to the Philippines to fund education programmes for children in poverty.
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