Until Tuesday, A New Book About a Very Strong Person
A short note on a book party, fundraiser and warm celebration I attended yesterday evening. My first Facebook friend, Luis Carlos Montalván, an acquaintance from my experience at Columbia’s Journalism School, has published a wonderful book, Until Tuesday (Disney-Hyperion).
I received a copy of the book at the gallery, and couldn’t put it down. Luis, a seasoned veteran and former Captain in the U.S. Army, earned the Combat Action Badge, two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart medal. He was severely injured during his deployment in Iraq, and came back with deep emotional and physical wounds.
His wonderful book is a tale of healing, aided by a special dog, but really it’s about human healing, and Luis’s determination to get well.
I am inspired by Luis, first that he got his book out (he beat me to it!), and also for being so brave in telling his story. It’s not an easy one, but it’s intense and will forever influence how I think about soldiers.
“Some people in the room know that every day 17 veterans commit suicide,” he mentioned to the group. I wasn’t aware, until yesterday.
For those of you who missed the party last night, you can check out this clip from CNN this morning, but of course it’s not the same as meeting Tuesday in person.
Thanks Luis, for being so forthcoming, and strong!
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Oh, this is lovely! Luis is a Facebook pal & we have mutual friends. This is an important story. I was hoping to get to NY for that party, but just couldn’t make it! Glad you did. PTSD affects so many veterans and non-veterans alike. Indeed, some recent research shows endocrine changes associated with cancer-related fatigue (my personal scourge) that are similar to those experienced by people with PTSD.
So glad you posted this.