Reaching for the Stars is a book that will evoke tears. Yet I wouldn't say that it is hopelessly sad story. At the end of my reading, I felt inspired and somewhat felt a warm glow in my heart. Family values still holds strong in our rat race driven society. Of that, I am most thankful.
In October 2007, Malaysia sends her first son to space- a true achievement for the country. The first Malaysian astronaut is Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. This book Reaching for the Stars is the memoir of his late younger brother, Sheikh Mustapha Shukor Al-Masrie who fell and went into a coma just as the space shuttle carrying Dr Sheikh Muszaphar re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. The book was therefore published after his death by MPH Malaysia and can be bought online at mphonline.com. It costs a mere RM 20; or the equivalent of USD 6.40.
The book, Reaching for the Stars, is written in two parts of which the first is a memoir by the late writer who lets us into the lives of the Al-Masrie family.
In the first half of the book, we are allowed a peek into their private lives; their early mornings; their regimented father; their loving mother; their dreams and their failures.You feel the love and the bond that hold the family together in times of sorrow and pain. You feel the admiration. The pervaling theme in the half of the book is to dare to dream and take up challenges. We learn the maner in which the children were raised made them who they are today. We learn about the two brothers' dreams to share the space travelling experiences. There were many questions regarding space travel that they promised to share and answer together. But alas, it was never meant to be. The two brothers never got to meet. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar in actual fact missed his own brother's burial ceremony. You just cannot help but feel the sadness and the tragedy. There is glory and triumph on one end, and sadness and tragedy on the other.
In the second half we read what the other family members have to say - right from the moment the tragic incident where the late Sheikh Mustapha fell. How each played a role and in many ways justified their own actions taken. Each family member shared their true feeling and their thoughts. On that fateful day, family members received congratulory messages and condolences via short message text (sms) both at the same time. Now how heart-breaking can that be!
But like I said, this a book that makes you think. And I mean really think about oneself; one's life, family, love and Faith. I have talked to several friends about this book and we each took something different from the book.
For me, the fantastic pictures of the handsome astronaut were good enough but then, the story made it truly an amazingly good read. Go get one but don't forget the Kleenex!
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