Cracking of the Heart

Book excerpt: After losing a loved one, "pay attention to the ways in which your relationship continues." So advised Sarah Horowitz in an interview she gave the day before her unexpected death. In A Cracking of the Heart, David Horowitz explores the legacy of his extraordinary daughter's short life, and narrates his quest for a deeper understanding of the child he lost. A remarkable woman and gifted writer, Sarah was afflicted with a birth condition that, while complicating and ultimately shortening her life, never affected her dreams. From an early age, she displayed inspiring courage in facing her own difficulties and boundless compassion. Alternately searing and uplifting, this book reconciles what could have been with what is, taking the reader through a father's love, frustration, admiration, and grief, to what lies beyond.