Lasting Love

WHEN CAROLINE WRIGHT, a Seattle cook- book author and recipe developer, received a diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2017 and was told she had a year to live, she decided to change the focus of her work. The projects the 32-year-old tackled next would be stories she could leave to her two sons.

One book, “Lasting Love,” was published this summer. Beautifully illustrated by Willow Heath, it offers a comforting take on a difficult subject: a child’s loss of a parent.

The book, available on Amazon and meant for children ages 3 to 7, describes a boy who finds that a magical creature came home with his mother after she learned she was sick. The big, fuzzy creature — a manifestation of his mother’s love — accompanies the two of them through a variety of activities and stays with the boy after she’s gone. It quietly supports him and keeps his mother’s memory close at hand, showing young readers that this kind of loss will not leave them alone.

In an author’s note, Wright discusses her goal in writing the book.

“Despite my strength and profound hope for survival, I thought of all the lessons I wanted to teach my children — everything from wearing their seat belts to always being kind to each other,” says Wright, whose scans now show no evidence of cancer and who is writing more children’s books and a post-diagnosis memoir. “The message in this book, however, is the one essential truth that really matters, a truth that provides comfort to any of us facing an uncertain future: A parent’s love is forever. This belief transcends time and mortality. In this light, I knew we would be OK, no matter what came along.”

“Lasting Love” shares a moving and constructive message that may help support youngsters as they navigate a deep loss.