When We Were Five: The Diary of an American Family

by Derek Gray

When We Were Five features a unique perspective on the harsh realities of repeated untimely deaths in a family, and the never ending perseverance of life. It is the story of one man's quest to break free from three straight generations of heart disease, and become the first male in his family to reach the age of fifty. It is an emotional roller coaster as the reader watches the heart disease baton get inevitably passed down to the next male Gray in line, hoping and praying that someone will beat this dreaded monster.

325 pages, Hardcover

Published December 6, 2016

About the author

Derek Gray graduated from California State University Northridge in 1987, with a B.A. in English with an option in writing. He is married to his wife Martha, of twenty years and has two daughters, Alexa and Daniella. Derek is a certified fitness trainer who loves the active lifestyle, eating a heart healthy diet, and especially playing the game he has loved his entire life baseball. Derek has written two books. When We Were Five, which was thirty years in the making, and his newest release, How To Stop Being Lazy And Start Living Healthy, which in many ways is an extension of his first book.

Reviews

[Aarti Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek's memoir of his life is like watching a "Rocky" movie, as he describes in his book. Much like Rocky, you see him deal with difficult punches being thrown his way left and right. The opponent in the ring is a family history of heart disease that dramatically changes his life as well as his whole family's. As I read the book, I wondered what the outcomes would be as I watched him ride all the highs and lows he openly shared. It really was like watching a movie, especially with all the photos included in the book. I would never have been able to predict the shocking events that unfolded. I'm so happy I found this book, as it truly is an account of how precious life is and how easy it is to forget this sometimes. It's about doing it your way, and Derek shows how he found a way to make his life and health his own. His book is heart-wrenching, but also very inspiring and well worth the read.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with Derek. We spent our Saturday mornings on bowling league along with our friend Rick. None of us knew how dysfunctional our families really were at the time, but none of us were spared. Derek was just brave enough to put it to paper. His book broke my heart over and over again. Still love and think about you my baby brother from another mother...