Three Weeks With My Brother: A Memoir
By Nicholas and Micah SparksSubmitted by Mildred Long, December 2006
Since reading this book for the first time, I have read all eight that Nicholas has written. I am waiting for the ninth, but as he has already made his first million, I may have to wait.
I was struck by the closeness of these two men, aged 35 and 36, Micah being the elder. Their parents were educated folk but money was always a scarce commodity, thus they learned to make their own fun. The elder was definitely more adventuresome, confident – personality plus, but he had always been instructed to look out for his brother. Hence he called him “Little Brother.”
There is such a warmth, also with their sister. Their mother was a remarkable woman whose death at an early aged following an accident with her horse shattered their lives. Her death seemed to trigger depression bouts in their father, and they often wondered if he had manic depression. It is the cohesion with the siblings that is inspiring.
Six years after the mother died, their father was regaining his life again only to be killed in a car accident. Nicholas’ second child was diagnosed as being autistic. They were determined that this child be accepted at school. It was another challenge. Nicholas and his wife had five children, Micah one.
Shortly after the father was killed, Dana, the sister and the mother of twin boys, was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Although she lived miles away, one of the brothers always tried to be present for the radiation, chemotherapy, etc. which ensued. Ultimately, the treatment was unsuccessful, and Dana died, leaving the two brothers the sole survivors of their original family unit.
It was at this time that the brothers responded to a brochure that came by mail offering a three week global tour. With the encouragement of their spouses but much feeling of guilt at leaving their wives and children, they took off, along with 95 others. The closeness of these two brothers was an amazement to their fellow travellers.
The conversations in the book about faith were interesting, and the family loyalty shown by these two men was inspiring. You won’t regret reading this book!