by Zachariah Parks (Illustrator), Jeffrey Wu (Author)
Inspired by a true story, A Last Wish for Larry follows a young doctor as he moves from Boston to Mississippi to begin his medical career. He ends up in a gently chaotic clinic where nothing ever goes quite as planned, and the doctor soon realizes that his medical knowledge is going to be a less valuable survival tool than his sense of humor. Along the way he meets Larry, a parentless, basketball loving sixteen year old with AIDS. It's 1990, not long after the dawn of the AIDS crisis, and Larry knows his treatment options are limited. Even so, he agrees to come to the clinic every week so the doctor can keep an eye on him. At first Larry and the doctor mostly talk about basketball, but they gradually move on to more personal subjects as Larry's worsening condition transforms him from a playful boy into a thoughtful young man. The stigma of having AIDS also drives Larry into increasing isolation, until some of the doctor's co-workers step forward, each in their own quiet way, and build a new community around Larry, one that will provide him with comfort in his darkest hours. Filled with memorable characters and with vignettes both humorous and tragic, A Last Wish for Larry is a touching story of love and friendship and a testament to the power of hope in times of despair.
Author Biography
Jeffrey Wu is an internist in Boston, Massachusetts, and lives in the Boston area with his wife and their two sons. He has also practiced in Mississippi and New Jersey and taught at Harvard Medical School. A Last Wish for Larry is his first published work of fiction.