First published 2013
Lt. Col. Mark Weber stands at the height of his military career when doctors deliver devastating news: stage IV intestinal cancer at age thirty-eight. The father of three had just been selected for a prestigious advisory role with the Afghan Parliament when the diagnosis changes everything. Weber faces a battle unlike any he trained for, with his wife and sons beside him as reluctant allies. As his condition worsens over two years of treatment, Weber realizes he will not survive this final mission. He begins writing to his boys, knowing they will grow up without their father. The letter becomes his legacy, filled with hard-won wisdom about courage and fear, the weight of words versus actions, and finding balance between pride and humility. Weber shares stories that reveal how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives by choosing the right causes to serve. His message extends beyond his own children to anyone seeking guidance from someone who faced death with purpose and grace.
Genres: family-life, military-fiction, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, legacy
212 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: death, terminal-illness