“When life could end in an instant, you value every moment to its fullest. An Uncommon Life: Surviving the Loss of a Gifted Child tells the story of two parents faced with their adult child’s heart disorder which limited her life. Cedar took every moment she had to fulfill her dreams of acting and writing, fearing for the worst but hoping for the best. An Uncommon Life is a tragic yet inspiring tale, highly recommended.” – The Midwest Book Review
An Uncommon Life
Subscribe to our RSS feed
“This book makes me want to live my dreams and encourage my kids to live theirs…not eventually, but RIGHT NOW!”
D.F. Florida, Business owner, mother
What an amazing book! It is such a pleasure to read.
Each chapter gives us another dimension into the life of Cedar. She was one of my best friends, someone who I admired greatly. She was such a talented artist, in so many ways.
Merry, I really enjoy your writing style. You have an ability to draw in your readers, sharing your most personal moments from long ago, as if they happened yesterday. – Laura Sherman, Free-lance writer, chess teacher.
Merry, you are an extraordinary writer – I felt as if I were right there every step of the way. You paint personalities with such intuition; the reader becomes friends with those who contributed to Cedar’s life. Knowing Cedar made the book more personal for me but also meant wet eyes . . . the ending, however, left me smiling brightly!!!! What a unique and beautiful family – my love to Miss Ada in her feathered green dress!
Carlyn McCormick, Applied Scholastics Educator
Merry Rosenfield’s “An Uncommon life” is a touching story of LIFE. Life as it is lived to the fullest. It is a story that each one of us should read, whether we have suffered the loss of a child or not. This story is filled with art, with passion, with vitality and with a message that is as important as every moment of every day that we have, to enjoy our lives, and for those we love to enjoy theirs. Excellent reading! –Laurie Anspach, Artist
Merry Rosenfield’s writing is outstanding. It came through so clearly and naturally, and I felt as though I were personally being told this story. – Peter Belden, Boat Captain, San Francisco CA
Merry has a gift for bringing to life individual scenes that reveal entire vistas of personalities, both human and animal. This book is a very human story about two people who raise a family and share their lives deeply with each other. I’m not much of a fan of “slice of life” books or films that appeal mainly to women, but this book captivated me and I found myself pulled through by my interest in her characters.
If I were a betting man, I’d be buying the movie rights! – Peter Glickman, author of “Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days”
When my youngest daughter was born, she was placed on my wife’s stomach and, as if pre-ordained as a moment of maternal magic, a golden line appeared between the two of them.
It was perhaps the most moving moment of my life.
But more than that, it was a moment of spiritual enchantment between mother and daughter.
Merry Rosenfield’s An Uncommon Life, a novel about her remarkable daughter, Cedar, reminds one of this special love, which makes the telling of this young girl’s life just as remarkable.
Cedar Rosenfield was an artist: a writer, an actress and a fine artist. The relationship between this extraordinary young woman and her mother is the story of An Uncommon Life . What makes the story unique is the fact that Cedar Rosenfield died of a congenital heart problem at the age of 20.
Merry Rosenfield tells how her daughter matured as an artist, how she loved to dance, and draw and act and, eventually, how the family dealt with the loss. And how they were eventually able to move on and let Cedar do the same.
Life is not always fair. But surviving its ups and downs and challenges, is really what this book is all about.
–Bruce Wiseman, author
An Uncommon Life is a perfect title for this heartfelt memoir. Ms. Rosenfield is a captivating and courageous storyteller as she effectively intertwines heartwarming stories with some of the seemingly unbearable challenges her life has delivered. She is clearly a pro at looking on the bright side of things and I applaud and admire her willingness to share her story. I would relish reading the sequel! – Dr. Nancy Kay, author of Amazon bestseller Speaking for Spot
A wonderful read of a fleeting life told as if through a journal kept lovingly in a way that only a parent knows but shared with the world so that everyone can know its warmth and promise. – Janet Williamson, Janet Williamson Music Agency
It’s a wonderful book. I was hooked from the beginning. I’ve already admitted I looked at every one of the drawings first and then I started to read. The way the story played out, one knows there’s a loss coming but there’s all this life happening first and it’s totally interesting. I have to admit that I learned more about granting beingness to others – like big guys with tatoos. And I was totally surprised and pleased at how smoothly and quietly you integrated your inclusion of your membership in the Church of Scientology. I don’t think it’s ever been done before. It’s either Celebs in the news or no mention at all. I loved that part.
You certainly don’t live an ordinary life and it sure is an interesting one – including the small flaws and hiccups. That just made it more real. Since I have the intention at this late date in my life to make a success of myself as an artist (includes writing and photography, painting, poetry), your adventures and continued insistence on working as an artist was really inspiring. And the support your husband gives you. Fabulous. And Cedar. What a gal. The drawings are wonderful. Major wonderful. She was talented indeed. I cried at the end. I didn’t know if I would but the waterworks just turned on.
Your book is beautifully written. Smooth and polished and inviting. It’s a bit hard to see it as your first book. It’s kind of weird to talk about the book because really, this is your real life, not some made up story. I was glad all the way along that you had David, too; it made what was coming a little easier to bear.
Congratulations on a wonderful book and a beautiful daughter and the willingness to tell us about it. We who read your book are better for it.
A great book, I couldn’t put it down!
This book is an expression of love, care and sharing of a life. It is a must for those who love life and can experience the joy of others and thus grow to become better. Thanks to Merry for sharing “An Uncommon Life”. Linda A.