Taylor's Gift

March 11, 2013
The Storch family’s dream vacation turns into a nightmare when 13-year-old Taylor Storch dies after hitting a tree while skiing. Her parents write about their feelings of loss and the difficulties of processing their grief differently. While Todd needs to be around people and focuses on establishing a foundation, Taylor’s Gift, to facilitate registration for organ donors, Tara withdraws into a suicidal depression that leaves her unable to function. Her lifeline is a rediscovery of her faith and an amazing support network of family and friends. Ultimately, Todd and Tara find great comfort in meeting the five recipients of Taylor’s donated organs. Their stories are told in third person by cowriter Schuchmann; the viewpoint switching can be disruptive. While the couple’s brave and honest first-person confessions about their grief might particularly benefit those who understand such horrible loss, tedious detail can bog down the message of hope that Taylor’s gift brought not only to her parents but also to the organ recipients, who receive a new lease on life. Agent: Kathryn Helmers, Creative Trust.

March 15, 2013
Taylor Storch states in a poem written shortly before her death that she is outgoing and friendly and that she wants to be a success in life. While Taylor's lifetime is cut short by a ski accident, she continues giving the gift of life, thanks to her parents. Todd and Tara Storch recount the decisions that went into the amazing gift of organ donation and how the event transforms their lives and the lives of recipients, including a mother of two. The Storches' story is not an easy read. Several chapters relive the tragedy and the grief that follows; however, the book serves as testament to the resilience of people, and the comfort of faith, family, and friends. Both parents enlisted their marketing talents to start a foundation named after their daughter that promotes organ donation. In doing so, they take back their lives. Taylor's Gift portrays the hope that comes with blazing new trails in an age of modern miracles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)