As a boy and initially as a young man, Tony Cointreau lived with his emotions bottled up inside, particularly when it came to confronting the possibility of a loved one's death. When he saw his beloved Aunt Tata for the last time and she bid him farewell, the experience left an indelible impression on his mind. When Tony began volunteering at Gift of Love, the hospice facility founded by Mother Teresa, he confronted mortality on a near-daily basis as he cared for terminal AIDS patients. Often, Tony was the last person many of these moribund men saw before leaving this earthly realm; his kindness and compassion were one of their final experiences. Tony worked at Gift of Love for over a decade, providing solace to those who appreciated his willingness to listen, laugh, or hold their hands. His contribution to those in dire need of care and empathy follows in the tradition of the saintly Mother Teresa, who founded the aforementioned homes.

In the 1980s and 1990s, AIDS was a stigmatized disease where those suffering from it were often ostracized by family and friends, if not society. However, there were men and women, if not communities, who provided those struggling with the virus with both compassion and empathy. While an underlying sadness surrounds the circumstances of many of the patients profiled in this story, a beacon of light shines through the charitable acts of both religious orders and volunteers. The narrative credibly illustrates how the power of human contact can be transformative and how being there for someone deeply vulnerable can ease their burden. At its core, this is a book with heart and humanity that will elicit more than a few tears along with the occasional affirming smile.

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