It was an honor and a pleasure to
be able to read a book that so much heart and passion was put into. Wide Awake and Dreaming was a trouble-free read that left me consuming the novel all in
one day.
Julie Flygare has been an
inspiration to me since day one of my diagnosis of both Narcolepsy and
Cataplexy. Ever since finding her REMrunner blog I have had a constant positive
role model who made a choice to overcome Narcolepsy, not suffer from it. Three years
have passed and her writing has been an endless source of positive energy and
has contributed to creating my own positive future.
In the beginnings of her book I
found myself relating to every single question she raised on her pursuit to a
diagnosis. The detail and the description Julie writes with had me questioning
if in fact I wasn’t reading my own memoir. Whether she was sleeping in class or
thinking up absurd ways to stay awake I was right there reminiscing my High
School days. Julie sent me on a roller coaster of emotions; her words brought
laughter, but they also brought tears as I was reminded of some of my own
darkest day. It’s a book of struggles, lost dreams, uncertainty, but most of
all it’s a book about rising above an illness and achieving what once was the
unthinkable.
The
community of narcoleptics or PWN (person with narcolepsy) owes a huge thank you
and a huge round of applause to Julie for not only writing a book, but for
writing a memoir we all can relate to. Flygare’s writing goes into detail about
the challenges we face not just with the sleepiness but the emotional and
physical battles we constantly endure. Julie continues to be a upbeat advocate
for people living with Narcolepsy with contagious optimism. I thank her for
having the courage to talk about her narcolepsy/cataplexy in such a raw way but
also for being brave enough to let it hit the shelves.
I
strongly recommend and encourage Wide Awake and Dreaming. It’s a must read for anyone who has
encountered Narcolepsy and or Cataplexy, whether you are a family member, a
friend, or the person who is confronting it first hand you will find
inspiration and endless knowledge in all 213 pages!
The Memoir can be found and purchased below:
