YOU GET PAST THE TEARS: A Mother/Daughter Memoir of Love and Survival

In his foreword, Stanford University pediatrics professor Philip A. Pizzo describes the Broadbents' story as "one of survival, of being unwilling to accept 'no.' " That comment only begins to convey the struggle the family has faced since learning that their adopted daughter, Hydeia, has HIV. Though they initially sought simply to serve as foster parents to the little girl, who had been abandoned in a hospital when she was less than a year old by a drug-addicted mother, their relationship with the girl and its path became far more complex. Hydeia's mother, Patricia, candidly (if clunkily) reveals the family's struggles to understand their daughter's illness when pediatric AIDS research was practically nonexistent (it was the mid-'80s), to find educational facilities for her when discrimination toward children with disabilities was rampant, and to cope with the everyday heartache and tension—including the stress on the Broadbents' other children—that comes from raising a critically ill child not expected to make it to adolescence. But Hydeia did, thanks to the development of new AIDS drugs. She is currently a teenager and—along with her mother—a highly visible AIDS activist who's made the rounds from 20/20 to Maury. While the story is primarily told by Patricia, the book is punctuated by moving poems and essays written by Hydeia at various ages. This well-intentioned memoir will inspire those coping with the illness of a child. Agent, Sarah Lazin. (On sale Mar. 12)

Forecast:The Broadbents' story is a sure bet for Iyanla Vanzant fans, Essence readers and Oprah devotees.