“An articulate, unflinchingly honest, and touching account brimming with joy, heartbreak, and love.”
At the age of thirty, just as everything was falling into place for him, Lee Pesky died of brain cancer. For his father, Alan, grief came with the realization that he had lost the chance to love Lee as he was, not as he wanted him to be. Ambitious, successful, and always striving for more, Alan had a hard time relating to a son who struggled with learning disabilities at a time when there was little understanding or help for the kids who had them. Their relationship was complicated, and suddenly, Lee was gone.
More To Life Than More is Alan’s exploration of misunderstanding, loss, and learning. A memoir that will resonate with those who have lost a loved one, with anyone who has been impacted by learning challenges, and with parents who have struggled to understand a child.
After Lee’s death, Alan launched himself into keeping Lee’s memory alive by helping kids in a way he wasn’t able to help his son. It was too late to change his relationship with Lee, but he could create something positive and enduring from his loss: Lee Pesky Learning Center, a non-profit in Idaho dedicated to understanding and helping children overcome obstacles to learning. In 25 years, the Center that bears his son’s name has helped more than 100,000 children and become a national force for early literacy. Readers will find redemption and optimism in Alan’s journey, as he seeks fulfillment beyond success, and meaning through grief. A father who comes to know the son he had misunderstood and lost, and who realizes how much more there is to life than more.