Jenifer Estess is a woman on the verge: She's about to launch her own company; she's looking buff and dating vigorously; she's driving in the fast lane -- with the top down. At the age of thirty-five, Jenifer dreams of falling in love and starting a family. Then she notices muscle twitches in her legs. Walking down a city block feels exhausting. At first, doctors write off Jenifer's symptoms to stress, but she is quickly diagnosed with ALS, a fatal brain disease that is absolutely untreatable.
Max out your credit cards and see Paris, suggests one doctor. Instead of preparing to die, Jenifer gets busy. She dreams deeper, works harder, and loves endlessly. For Jenifer, being fatally ill is not about letting go. It's about holding on and reaching -- for family, friends, goals.
Jenifer's girlhood pact with her sisters Valerie and Meredith -- nothing will ever break us apart -- guides them as Jenifer faces down one of the most devastating illnesses known to humankind. That same enduring pact inspires the creation of Project A.L.S., a movement started by the sisters that changes the way science and medicine approach research for ALS and the related diseases Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and which has already raised more than $18 million. Will Project A.L.S. help scientists discover medicine in time for her?
Jenifer answers these questions and others in this beautifully written and wholly inspiring memoir that celebrates a life fuelled by memory. Tales from the Bed forces us to reconsider society's notion of "having it all," and illustrates, more than anything, the importance of endurance, hope, and, most of all, love.
"Touching and inspiring....It's like having lunch with a delightful and hilarious friend who you wish could stay on into the evening for just one more story, one more tale."
-- Sarah Jessica Parker
"This gem of a book is an astonishing gift. Filled with Jenifer's singular grace and exquisite wit, Tales from the Bed had me laughing and crying, and often at the same time."
-- Peter Hedges, author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape
"Even as [ALS] steals much of Jenifer away, she reaches inside and shares the best part with us."
-- Michael J. Fox
"From the vantage point of her queen-size bed, Estess displays unflagging courage and wry humor."
-- Los Angeles Daily News
