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I've never read any of Danielle Steele's fictional novels, but I flew through this account of the life of her son, Nick Traina. His struggles with Bipolar Disorder, and her heartbreak are heartwrenching, but as the mother of a child who lives in the same tortured world, I am inspired by the strength of Nick's dreams, his family's love, and his mother's creativity in her unending search for appropriate resources. This book is filled with personal letters, poems, and song lyrics. There are lots of photographs of Nick and his family punctuating many of the chapters. This is an intimate book. Ms. Steele has opened her heart here, even though it was probably painful. She says in the forward that one of her reasons for writing this book was that she hoped she could educate people about this often-fatal mental illness. That was certainly a worthy goal, and this is the only book I've seen which deals with the trials of Bipolar Disorder in CHILDHOOD. She's managed something else, in my case, however. The Story of Nick Traina made me feel that, if Danielle Steel could survive her son's white-hot dance with life, so can I face whatever years lie ahead for my daughter and our family. It wouldn't matter if this book were poorly written, which I don't believe it is; this is an inspiring, diary-honest, easy-read. It's full of practical, creative suggestions for living with a mentally-ill child. It's about remembering to look for rainbows after devastating storms. It's an unforgettable eulogy of a beautiful young man. It's a book every teacher, minister,medical professional, and library should own.

I had a very hard time reading this book. I too, have a child with bipolar disorder, and is very much like Nick. I really think Danielle Steel was couragous to reveal her private life with the public to try to help those of us who are dealing with children like Nick every day. I learned a lot from the book, especially from the journals Nick kept. My son doesn't ever tell what he is feeling inside, and once I learned what might be going on inside his head, I could handle him different.

Sometimes I felt she was writing about my life and that is what made it difficult to read at times. I would get exhausted because I've been there in her shoes.

I know people who have no idea what bipolar is and they didn't really like the book. I think you have to experience what she is writing about to really appreciate this book. More people need to understand this sickness so they can help others with it by being more understanding and caring.

I think this book deserves more than 5 stars. It touched me so personally, I will treasure it forever. Danielle Steel is a hero in my eyes and a wonderful mother. She went through more than most people can imagine and continued with her writing and career. That is more than I can say about myself. I have given up everything to take care of my son, so he doesn't end up like Nicki.

I would highly recommend it for any mother with a child who is bipolar.

I admit it. I've never read a Danielle Steel book. I've never been interested enough, although I know many people who rave about her. Her stories just aren't necessarily my "cup of tea." However, I was highly recommended this true-story book about her son's life by a friend of mine, so I decided to give it a try.

I got to experience DS's flair for writing and its conversational style. It was very easy to read and held my interest. Pages flowed into the next. I can see her widespread appeal.

Not only was the story sad yet uplifting, but "His Bright Light" helped me to understand manic depressive behavior intimately as DS learned it herself over the years. It was quite the lesson in psychology for those who don't want to get bogged down with or can't quite grasp the technical or scientific aspects of it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to know more about the disease, her son's life, as well as DS's life. She provides some great autobiographical material for those interested. It's a quick read, and it'll be worth the effort, especially if you know someone with similar challenges in their own life...