SAM
Memories of a Remarkable Woman.
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
From the time of her first heart attack, Sam and I had always prayed that when her time came to go, it would happen quietly, in her sleep – no prolonged suffering, no slow deterioration, no heavy medication to ease her pain – and now, when it had happened in just that exact manner, I was stunned and devastated. How many times had I awakened in the stillness of the night or the early dawn hours and either listened carefully to see if she was breathing calmly and quietly or if I could detect any subtle rise and fall of her chest? Perhaps it had been a bad dream, or perhaps it was just a premonition that roused me. But each time that had happened, she was sleeping soundly and was her bright and cheery self when she awakened. On the rare times that I would tell her what had happened during the night, she would smile sweetly at me and tell me that she’d be with me for a while yet. “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” she would joke. But both of us knew that that would be the best way for her to go. We just wanted to forestall the inevitable for as long as possible.
Formats
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
In the spring of 1956, Joanie Nobis, a senior at Boston College and a member of the dinghy sailing team, met Richard Toner, a varsity baseball player and there began a love affair that would last fifty-one years. SAM: Memories of a Remarkable Woman is an intimate memoir that reveals Joanie’s valiant, lifelong struggle against disease through her husband’s eyes.
When Richard and Joanie were married just fourteen months after they met, Richard knew he was deeply in love with Joanie, but he had no idea of the magnitude of the indomitable courage and determination he would witness from his wife on a daily basis as she faced physical and emotional obstacles. In this passionate tribute to the woman whom Richard regards as his hero, he details not only how he came to name his wife Sam—a pet name that would stick with her for their entire marriage—but also shares their love story and how they became stronger together through Joanie’s continual battles with diabetes, heart disease, and amputations.
SAM: Memories of a Remarkable Woman is a poignant reminder that no matter what the challenges in life, true love is the bond that holds everything together.
About the Author
Richard J. Toner concluded his thirty-year Air Force military career as a brigadier general. Together with his late wife Joan, he owned and operated the Birchwood Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts from 1991 to 1999. He is the author of two other books and lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.