About The Book

Jantsen's Gift

These are some of the emails we’ve received (which mean more to us than you’d know!):

“Jantsen’s Gift” is one of the best books I’ve read in years. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It’s inspiring on many different levels.”

“A most heart-wrenching book! I couldn’t put it down - so my family had to wait for 24 hours whilst I read it.”

“The book is life altering. The realization that a few dollars can help people is so enlightening.”

“It is so touching, so true, and just really a good book. I have told everyone to get out there and buy the book. You have touched so many lives, it so many ways.”

“I just got my copy yesterday and couldn’t put it down!!! This book really is amazing! Thank you for taking the time to tell your story. xoxox”

“This book touches on so many great things — self-empowerment, transformation, turning tragedy into something beautiful. It also happens to be funny, sad, touching, and you can’t put it down! After I finished it, I immediately thought of at least 5 friends to recommend it to — it’s that kind of book. Women (and men) need more of this sort of inspiration! A great read.”

“I was completely moved by this book. It was a joy to read — entertaining and funny, thought provoking and poignant. It makes you think differently about everything — what’s important in life and what isn’t. And it makes you realize just how much one person can do to affect change. I was enthralled from page one and found myself loving and rooting for Pam Cope all the way through. Most importantly, though, it made me notice my privilege even more clearly and want to help people in need. This is the most powerful byproduct of such a great read!”

From the jacket:

Nine years ago, Pam Cope owned a cozy hair salon in the tiny town of Neosho, Missouri, and her life revolved around her son’s baseball games, her daughter’s dance lessons, and family trips to places like Disney World. She had never been out of the country, nor had she any desire to travel far from home.

Then, on June 16th, 1999, her life changed forever with the death of her 15-year-old son from an undiagnosed heart ailment.

Needing to get as far away as possible from everything that reminded her of her loss, she accepted a friend’s invitation to travel to Vietnam, and, from the moment she stepped off the plane, everything she had been feeling since her son’s death began to shift. By the time she returned home, she had a new mission: to use her pain to change the world, one small step at a time, one child at a time. Today, she is the mother of two children adopted from Vietnam. More than that, she and her husband have created a foundation called “Touch A Life,” dedicated to helping desperate children in countries as far-flung as Vietnam, Cambodia and Ghana.

Pam Cope’s story is on one level a moving, personal account of loss and recovery, but on a deeper level, it offers inspiration to anyone who has ever suffered great personal tragedy or those of us who dream about making a difference in the world.

Reviews

“This moving memoir recounts Cope’s transformation and growth after her world collapsed… a wonderful story of a woman whose personal tragedy gave birth to a gift and how she fulfilled that legacy to make the world a better place.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“The author’s charitable, compassionate nature saturates the narrative, giving it a smooth, unrushed flow…Skillfully written account of finding hope after grief.”
—Kirkus

The Authors

Pam Cope is a frazzled mother of two ten year olds named Van and Tatum and an accomplished, independent 21-year-old daughter named Crista Austin. She is the Co-director, with her husband Randy, of the Touch A Life Foundation.

Aimee Molloy is a journalist and author. She is thinking about what to write about next. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her at www.aimeemolloy.com.

Press Inquiries

Jimmy Franco
Director of Publicity
Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
212-364-1321
jimmy.franco@hbgusa.com