Mother, Help Me Live

One Last Wish #3

by Lurlene McDaniel

Sarah McGregor, who has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant, receives a large check from an anonymous benefactor and decides to use the money to search for her birthmother, who gave her up for adoption when she was born

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, Childrens, Contemporary, Teen, Middle Grade

136 pages, Library Binding

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.


Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the only "terminal illness" Lurlene McDaniel book I've ever read; it was in my 5th grade classroom library and one of the books I picked up out of boredom.

I was pleasantly surprised by the themes and characters. Although the plot revolves around a terminally ill teenage girl searching for her biological mother (two heavy issues in one plot), it wasn't as cheesy or souped-up as I expected. The characters seemed fairly real, and the dynamics between the main character and her adoptive family in contrast to her biological mom were emotionally true and touching. So too were her feelings about her condition; not too much angsting, or at least not as much as you'd expect in a book about a dying teen girl. I also remember really liking boy-next-door, kinda-sorta love interest Scott; he may possibly have been one of my first fictional crushes, and I loved his compassionate loyalty to Sarah when she needed him.

The book also ended on a hopeful note, not at all what I was expecting, so that was a plus too. It wasn't fantastic, but it was quite decent to my 5th grade self. :)

[Angel (Bradford) Tweed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story. I was a little angry with the birth mother at first. But the birth mother came around at the end. I wonder what happened though to the main character they never said. I hope she did live. I recommend this book to anyone.

[Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok well ive been a fan of Lurlene Mcdaniel ever since i read my secret boyfriend and heart to heart i fell in love with her as in author. Her books are just so easy to read and although yes they are sad but they are nice an full of hope and love and inspiring. Even after a few years reading this book was ok i think i expected more. I still perfer heart to heart. i thought it was ok but sarah was very...disrespectful? i dont think she put a lot of thought into any of her decisions and she does admit it later, but her mom she had a lot of patience to deal with her with the way she was acting i wouldve slapped her. especially when her mom takes her to her birth mother and says "i could go with you" and she replys "i want to go alone" and tho her mother says "if you need me" shes says "i wont" and that was low shes been there for her through everything an i mean everything and she finally told her its good that she told sarah that she was her mother an had always been there for her first steps an for all the doctor appt. and when the cancer took such a toll for her at only 10 years of age. i felt so bad for the mother but i am happy that in the end things worked out for all of them and although we dont know if she lived or not if she found a donor or not id rate it a 3 for even if you arent adopted you should always take into consideration other peoples feelings before you speak. though not knowing what happens to her kills me im not one to like a story that leaves no answer an just your imagination on what happens.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Actual Rating: 3.8

It's been a really long time since I've read anything by Lurlene McDaniel but this book reminded me why I liked them so much. Although these books are a little "childish" for me... the characters are young and the stories are one dimensional, they are so realistic and emotional.

I enjoyed reading about Sarah and even her sister Tina and the whole family and experiencing this tragedy with them. You can tell McDaniel really knows what shes talking about in the medical department. All the medical part from the diagnosis' to the treatments to the details about what is going on in her body is all very real and doesn't seem like make believe.

I'm confused about the ending.. I'm actually really confused. Usually you get to find out if the patient lives or dies but this one kind of just ends with her going to sleep and saying she'd see what happens tomorrow? I'll have to do some research to see if there's a book after this one I need to read to find out. Anyways, I think I will go on a McDaniel binge and read everything she's written. Even the ones I know I've read before, I don't remember any of them.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow this one was irritating. I don't know what Lurlene McDaniel's intention was for this one cause it was frustrating all the way through. Sarah has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant with parents/siblings being the best match...however this is when Sarah's parents tell her she's actually adopted. Sarah decides to use the anonymously donated money to search for her birth mother and hope she'll be a bone marrow match to help her live. Things are grim though when she comes face to face with the woman who gave her up 15 years ago.
I don't even know where to begin with the things that irritated me with this one. Sarah's mom being one of the biggest issues. She had this story she'd tell fondly of giving birth to Sarah despite it all being a lie. Like, it's one thing to just not tell her she's adopted but to have this fabricated story just adds insult to injury. And then to wait until she is 15 and told she'll die without this marrow transplant..ughhh. Then her mom is seriously upset Sarah is using her money to look for her birth mother, guilting Sarah over her choice saying they could have gone on a nice family vacation instead of her being selfish. You know, selfishly looking for someone that could SAVE HER LIFE. Sarah's mom and dad act like Sarah is totally unreasonable for not taking the news that she's actually adopted well saying she's too old to be this upset. Sarah's sister Tina gets mad that the sick and dying Sarah seems to get all the attention and then mad no one bothered to test her to see if she could be a match...which is actually 100% ridiculous because they really should have. Like once it's revealed Sarah is adopted no one is tested to see if they're matched and are just ruled out as potential donors.

THEN THE OPEN-ENDED ENDING WAS JUST THE ICING ON THE STUPIDITY CAKE. There is no definitive conclusion of if Sarah finds a donor and lives or not. Not to mention after all this BS, Sarah's birth mother is a cancer survivor so not eligible, and comes with this sob story of being from a conservative family so couldn't have a baby out of wedlock hence the adoption. Thus making the entire plot of the book pointless and an utter waste of time. How disappointing.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about Sarah MacGreggor who is in desperate of a bone marrow transplant. She thought that her family would be able to donate their bone marrow for her. However, she found out that she was adopted daughter, which means her family cannot help. Her only hope is to find her biological mother in order to find the compatibile bone marrow to help her live.
I liked this book because it shows how a teenage girl struggle to find her mother and to save herself from the deadly cancerous cells. Throughout this book, there were lots of moment where courage and strength are found that tells readers that they should not easily give up no matter what situation they are in. I am very influenced in the book, I learned that no matter how sad, how painful I feel in any situation, I should never give up.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was slightly different from the previous "One Last Wish" novels. It seemed to be less focused on the illness and more on the adoption and the hardships that come with that. I was happy how the book ended but really want to know how things pan out for Sarah and her family.

[Saressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sad book. the only book i ever cried about. Its really a great story tho. i like it beacuse its more of a real life story but not a biography but something like it. its so great. i reacommend this probley to somebody who like sappy stories

[Alycia_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about plot twists! I never saw anything coming. Everything that I thought was going to happen, it happened the opposite. I really liked this book, however I wish i could have had a little more development of the characters in the beginning before we just jumped into her remission. Also, I really disliked the way that Sara reacted to her parents *SPOILER ALERT* after they told her that she was adopted and couldn't use the only siblings she had ever known as bone marrow donors, the only hope that she has at living. I understand why she would be upset to find out at first, but her had no right to be so mean and hateful towards the people who raised her and have been by her side through her entire illness. I think that after a couple days of pouting about it, she should have gotten over it, and I really don't think that the way she treated her sister what acceptable. She had to right to try to hurt her for something that her parents did. However, through all this, I admired Lurlene's ability to always keep me on my toes. I never saw the being adopted coming, the finding her birth mom, and I really did not expect to see her live through the end of the book! This is the first Lurlene McDaniel book I have ever read where not a single character died by the end of the book! I really enjoyed this book, but I wish I could have read more and know what happened after the announcment that her sister made. Did she get the transplant that she needed? Did her mom come around again? Did she eventually die because they couldn't find a donor? I need answers!

[Erin Labate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all of lurlene McDaniel’s books but I’d have to say this one is my favorite. All of her books are great but this one touched my heart. I love how she incorporates part of her story in all her books. Her books are deep heartfelt and absolutely amazing. Highly recommend all of her books. Her work is phenomenal

[Janessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved this book but the ending ruined it for me. Wished I could know how it turned out if she lived or died??? And if her and Scott became something more😭it was frustrating how she acted toward her mother but I would say it was a good story while it lasted. Not my favorite tho.

[Crystal Ellyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother, Help Me Love Review!

I like this book a lot. It gave me so much emotions! I love this author so much! Love it!!!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Very mature for the theme dealing with an unknown adoption and resentment from adoptive mother and sister.

[Rebecca Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a good choice to read for bringing awareness to cancer and the struggles it brings to patients and their families. Lurlene McDaniel hits all the feels with her books.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I'm on a bad streak with Lurlene books. The protag of this book annoyed me, too! Sarah was way too whiny and mired in shame about the fact that she was adopted, and while I get being upset that her parents lied to her (pretty shitty move on their part) she was a total bitch to them. Even during the penultimate scene where her birth mother rejects her and it's supposed to be sad I just rolled my eyes. Plus, the scene made Janelle out to be a shallow bitch for not wanting to deal with seeing the daughter she gave up and it's especially grating when she finally tells her story and we learn just how hard her decision was.

That said, Sarah's parents were way too placid and sitcom-y about their daughter's bullshit, with the "sit at the table, we're having a little talk" business and her mom weeping and wailing. The only member of the family I liked was Richie, and later Tina when she stopped being a brat.

I feel like this book could've had a more relatable premise but failed. In theory, a kid whose parents lied about how they were adopted could've made for a compelling story about trust and parents who thought they were doing the right thing and a kid who's genuinely hurt that their parents lied and they're not sure they can trust them. Instead we get Sarah throwing tantrums, being ashamed of her adoption, treating her parents like strangers and being obsessed with her birth mother (seriously, they could have at least put the most emphasis on how Janelle could be a match for bone marrow that could save her life rather than I WANT MY REAL MOMMY) until she Learns A Lesson about the true meaning of real family.

[Ashlyn Lopez]

This book by Lurlene McDaniel, called " Mother, Help Me Live " is a very good book. Its about the 15 year - old girl named Sarah who comes out of remission and the leukemia has spread in her body again. But when the doctors say she needs a bone marrow transplant to survive and her family would be the easiest donors to find her parents tell her that she was adopted and she doesn't handle it very well at first and neither does her 13 year - old sister, Tina. But some mysterious foundation leaves a letter with a check and it has a large amount of money. Sarah uses this money to go find her mom but once they find her they realize she can't be a bone marrow donor. So her little sister throws a homecoming party for Sarah when she returns home but then she gets really sick and has to go back tot the hospital. They still cant find a donor but then the doctor turns on the T.V. and they see Tina standing there on the news telling the world about Sarahs condition and hope they can get a donor.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah learns that her cancer has came back, but that isn't the only disappointing thing Sarah learns. She learns that they only thing that can save her is a bone marrow transplant that she can easily get from one of her siblings. Sarah learns however, that she was adopted when she was 3 days old and her siblings wouldn't be a match for the procedure. So, Sarah decides to take matters into her own hands and go looking for her birth mother. After finding her Sarah soon discovers that her mother is not a match either. Now faced with the harsh reality of what could happen she is left with questions and what seems very little hope to survive. I fell in love with Lurlene McDaniel in 7th Grade. The ability to put you in the moment with the characters is incredible. Laughing, Crying and Praying along with the story puts you going through an incredible journey with the characters. Everyone who is looking for something heartwarming and real should read this.

[Mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Mother, Help Me Live", author Lurlene McDaniel delves into the big issues of adoption and childhood cancer. These are not easy issues to cover and McDaniel does it well. The story is very compelling and I think an important one to read because the hardships faced by the main character, Sarah, are similar to those that touch so many of our lives. Readers can learn about what it is like on an emotional level for a child to find out that they are adopted, or to be facing serious illness and even possible death. The book also centers on the importance of family, the complexity of family relationships, and, most of all, love. The conclusion of the story is optimistic, but not fully resolved, which I think is meant to be true to life and allow readers to ponder for themselves what happens to Sarah. Overall, a beautiful story at an easy reading level.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that has a typical teen drama involved. The plot seemed a little contrived because I felt the author set the tone for the story because of the things she added and then took away. It is an overall interesting read and I was curious how it would end. The only problem I had with the novel is that it did not resolve any issue. The whole time we are reading about a girl who has cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant; however, when the novel ends, she still needs the transplant. Maybe this is a series book and I was not aware, but if it is not, then I don't feel like anything was resolved.

[Hannah]

This book is about a girl who finds out she was adopted. Well there's more to it, but I mainly focused on this part of the book. See, I was adopted from China, but I've always known, and excepted it. I've always had trouble understanding why people freak out when they find out they are adopted, but this book kinda helped me see what it would have been like from the characters perspective. So I just wanted to point out why I liked this book so much :)

[Coryn N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Help Me Live is a great book. I gave it 5 stars because it really has a lot of interesting parts. You feel really bad for her in most of the story, because she is probably going to die. Going to find her mom just made it worse. The book does get better as it goes on, but in the beginning it is very sad. I recommend this book for anyone who is into books with a lot of suspense, it was hard to put it down!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lurlene McDaniel's books are always good. They're honest, emotional, and a really sappy, but I enjoy them from time to time. I do find them cheesy at times, but McDaniel's has such a genuine way of portraying extreme sicknesses, at least in my mind, and how it affects the family of the sick person and the sick person him/herself. This book is no exception. It's interesting and an emotional story. It's not my favorite of her books, but it's an interesting one.

[Megan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to punch almost every character in this book for being bratty and stupid. My lack of sympathy for the protagonist made this book almost unreadable. It's not that her plight doesn't move me -- I'm all for adoption and cancer is a tragedy -- but her personality was so off-putting that I wanted to reach into the book and smush her. Not the worst book I've read lately, but far from the best.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good book. I really enjoyed reading it. It is very touching and heartwarming at the same time. I felt bad for the main character and the struggle she had to face going through cancer. Not only dealing with the disease, but finding out that she is adopted and wanted to find her birth mother to see if she would help. I love "One Last Wish" series.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah needs a bone marrow transplant, and she has never known she was adopted before now. So with some mysterious money from an even more mysterious benefactor, she goes searching for her birth parents, hoping for bone marrow.
A captivating novel!

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMW!!! I love these books!! I love all the books by Lurlene McDaniel!! They are about People with diseases and disorders, and the struggling loved ones around them!!! I would totally recommend these books to everyone!!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry and actually had a good ending this time compared to some of Lurlene's other books. Anyone who wants to read a touching story that will make you cry go by this now. You will love this book no matter what.

[Maggie Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite as dramatic as some (most) of her othe rbooks. There really wasn't any big medical crisis.

[Shayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book ever!!!!! this is a kind of book that is really sad but makes you want to read on!!!

[Jaclyn Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

after reading this book and learning about leukemia, I thought I had it! Watch out for giving this to people with overactive imaginations, or if they are prone to bruises! :)