Like William Styron's Darkness Visible, Flying Lessons: On the Wings of Parkinson's Disease is a chronicle of the human spirit, an inspiring tale of life lived to the fullest.

When Joan Grady-Fitchett was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, her doctor explained that this degenerative brain disorder would slowly steal her ability to walk, to speak clearly, and to care for herself, ultimately imprisoning her in a body she could no longer control.

Rejecting this prognosis, Grady-Fitchett determined to live as she always had--full speed ahead. She'd been a professional model, then one of Florida's most successful commercial real estate brokers, and soon after her diagnosis she bought and renovated an isolated farm in North Carolina.

Joan Grady-Fitchett participated in experimental drug programs that searched for medications that would alleviate Parkinson's symptoms with few side effects. She enrolled in a high-tech, experimental surgical program. And, somewhat to her own amazement, she fell in love with and married the man who is now her fourth husband.

In tragedy and triumph, Joan Grady-Fitchett has been sustained by a strong spiritual outlook and a deep appreciation of the natural world. In Flying Lessons, Grady-Fitchett shares with the reader the strength of her soul and the power of her courage.


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