The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

When he was 43 years old, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke that left his body completely paralyzed, but his mind free and active. Locked-In Syndrome. Living inside the diving bell of his body. Jean-Dominique learned to communicate through the blinking of his left eye. The alphabet was rearranged from the most commonly used letters to those lonely stragglers on the end. W's and X's and K's. Through this system, Jean-Dominique could very slowly, painstakingly blink out single letters to form words and sentences. And eventually, these words and sentences turned into a stunning novel about memories. About how good and full life can be. The smell of sausage. Finding yourself alone at midnight in a foreign town. The simple act of speaking. Walking with your children. Jean-Dominique remembers everything, relives every moment, every detail. He calls himself the butterfly, flying out of his diving bell, exploring the world a bit differently this time around.