ABOUT THE BOOKHow Much Big Is the Sky is a mother's searingly melodic and eloquent love song to her teenage son, Ryan, following his sudden death resulting from a car crash. Sherry Chapman captures the intimacy and immediacy of her experience with a rare combination of profound tenderness, literary skill, and raw candor. This stunning account of love and loss is structured in five parts resembling the various stages of grief. From the sudden blow of an early morning phone call to a mother's frantic advocacy to her final reflections on what remains, this book is unforgettable.
Includes Book Discussion Questions for your Book Club! |
Sherry Chapman
Photo credit: Laura Stone Photography |
Reviews and Literary Awards
Literary Awards and Honors Include:
Gold medal winner, non-fiction, 2021 Kindle Book Awards
Gold medal winner, adult non-fiction, 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Winner, Outstanding Memoir category, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards
Winner, Memoir, 2020 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Winner, Grief, 2020 National Indie Excellence Award
Winner, silver medal, non-fiction – Grief/Hardship, 2020 Readers' Favorite
Winner, second place, non-fiction, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards
Honoree, 2020, B.R.A.G. Medallion
Reviews:
"So well written and so intimately candid, How Much Big Is the Sky: A Memoir of a Mother's Love and Unfathomable Loss is one of those memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back on the shelf."
-- Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Choice
". . . Chapman's prose offers vivid detail and self reflection. . . . A brave recollection of a shattering loss."
-- Kirkus Reviews
". . . Unmasking the raw emotional experience of sudden tragic news and the agonizing process of grief that follows with the loss of a child, Chapman's fearless and inspiring account takes readers through every stage with a full heart and immersive narration. . . . Author Sherry Chapman writes with literary confidence that makes readers feel as though they are in safe hands, even through the darkest and most emotionally precarious moments of this hard-hitting reading experience. Readers who have experienced similar sudden tragedies are certain to take heart and support when reading Chapman's account, and for those lucky enough to be ignorant of the experience, it's a true window into the soul and psyche that, once read, cannot ever be forgotten . . . How Much Big Is the Sky: A Memoir of a Mother's Love and Unfathomable Loss is an incredible and highly emotive work of memoir that is sure to touch the heart of anyone that reads it."
-- Readers' Favorite (5 star review)
Gold medal winner, non-fiction, 2021 Kindle Book Awards
Gold medal winner, adult non-fiction, 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Winner, Outstanding Memoir category, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards
Winner, Memoir, 2020 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Winner, Grief, 2020 National Indie Excellence Award
Winner, silver medal, non-fiction – Grief/Hardship, 2020 Readers' Favorite
Winner, second place, non-fiction, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards
Honoree, 2020, B.R.A.G. Medallion
Reviews:
"So well written and so intimately candid, How Much Big Is the Sky: A Memoir of a Mother's Love and Unfathomable Loss is one of those memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back on the shelf."
-- Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Choice
". . . Chapman's prose offers vivid detail and self reflection. . . . A brave recollection of a shattering loss."
-- Kirkus Reviews
". . . Unmasking the raw emotional experience of sudden tragic news and the agonizing process of grief that follows with the loss of a child, Chapman's fearless and inspiring account takes readers through every stage with a full heart and immersive narration. . . . Author Sherry Chapman writes with literary confidence that makes readers feel as though they are in safe hands, even through the darkest and most emotionally precarious moments of this hard-hitting reading experience. Readers who have experienced similar sudden tragedies are certain to take heart and support when reading Chapman's account, and for those lucky enough to be ignorant of the experience, it's a true window into the soul and psyche that, once read, cannot ever be forgotten . . . How Much Big Is the Sky: A Memoir of a Mother's Love and Unfathomable Loss is an incredible and highly emotive work of memoir that is sure to touch the heart of anyone that reads it."
-- Readers' Favorite (5 star review)
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK
"Gripping, emotional, vulnerable, beautiful." ––Caroline H.
"A very painful, intensely honest and skillfully written account of a mother's grief and resilience." ––John L.
". . . I will never forget this journey of love, and neither will you if you read this book. Highly recommended!" ––B. Vasile
"This book will linger in your heart and soul." --Verified Amazon Customer
"I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Beautiful story of a mother's love and loss." ––Sheri Amato
"Wonderful book! . . . a must read for anyone who cares about the human condition." ––Jody Downes
"How Much Big Is the Sky spares no difficult details as it describes the darkest and most unimaginable corners of a parent confronting tragedy. Yet the book's jagged chronology mirrors the experience and leaves on the reader the indelible impression that this mother has faced reality with enormous courage, described it with disarming clarity, and provided us with clear-eyed perspectives and rays of hope . . . Thank you, Sherry, for endeavoring to write this book and delivering such compelling honesty."
--Tim Hollister, author, His Father Still; co-author, Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving
"A very painful, intensely honest and skillfully written account of a mother's grief and resilience." ––John L.
". . . I will never forget this journey of love, and neither will you if you read this book. Highly recommended!" ––B. Vasile
"This book will linger in your heart and soul." --Verified Amazon Customer
"I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Beautiful story of a mother's love and loss." ––Sheri Amato
"Wonderful book! . . . a must read for anyone who cares about the human condition." ––Jody Downes
"How Much Big Is the Sky spares no difficult details as it describes the darkest and most unimaginable corners of a parent confronting tragedy. Yet the book's jagged chronology mirrors the experience and leaves on the reader the indelible impression that this mother has faced reality with enormous courage, described it with disarming clarity, and provided us with clear-eyed perspectives and rays of hope . . . Thank you, Sherry, for endeavoring to write this book and delivering such compelling honesty."
--Tim Hollister, author, His Father Still; co-author, Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving
About the Author
Sherry Chapman became an advocate for safe teen driving following the death of her nineteen-year-old son, Ryan, resulting from a car crash.
Sherry received national recognition in 2014 from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, D.C. as a Highway Safety Hero for her contributions to saving lives, preventing injuries, and making roads safer.
In 2017 Sherry was named as Connecticut’s Safety Champion in recognition of her years of exceptional advocacy and leadership on teen driving issues. The sponsoring agencies and organizations included Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate, Connecticut Hezekiah Beardsley Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Safe Kids Connecticut, and AAA.
Sherry currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, one dog, two cats, and an active hive of honey bees.
Sherry is busy working on her next book.
Sherry received national recognition in 2014 from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, D.C. as a Highway Safety Hero for her contributions to saving lives, preventing injuries, and making roads safer.
In 2017 Sherry was named as Connecticut’s Safety Champion in recognition of her years of exceptional advocacy and leadership on teen driving issues. The sponsoring agencies and organizations included Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate, Connecticut Hezekiah Beardsley Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Safe Kids Connecticut, and AAA.
Sherry currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, one dog, two cats, and an active hive of honey bees.
Sherry is busy working on her next book.
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