It follows Stefan Rybak, who is a workaholic with a successful career in the entertainment, media, and marketing fields, as he confronts an unscheduled, inescapable interruption to his business plans. He collapsed and is rushed to the emergency room (ER), where a doctor insists that he schedule major heart surgery to correct a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect.
This surgery may be life-threatening for Rybak, but at the same time, if he were to ignore it, it may have adverse effects on his health, and it may be terminal.
As he is confronted with his own mortality, Rybak appeals to the memories of his late, strong-willed, and very protective mother Maria who was forced into slave labor by the Nazis during World War II as a young Polish girl back in the day. He has always considered her a strong presence in his life and a perennial paradigm for handling adversity. Although his mother has passed on, he finds himself connected to her more than ever after his medical ordeal.
During his post-surgical recovery, he writes a book about his experience. He learns that his mother has served as a pillar of comfort in his life during the most challenging and difficult times. In this book, he is candid about her good and poor choices, her marriage and divorce, as well as her profound spirituality. He is able to explore the role that prayer played in his mother’s life.
Without giving too much away, this is a book that should be read and experienced by all.
The Shadow On My Heart: Faith. Family. Forgiveness. is available on Amazon. It’s a book about faith and family, and it can easily be read in one or two sittings. This book by Stefan Rybak garners two thumbs up.
