Ana’s Story A Journey of Hope Written and Read by Jenna Bush / 3 hours. Listened to Audio Book over 2 days

This story was very astonishing as it explains the life of a teen named Ana who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at birth. Growing up, Ana struggles with watching and accepting her parent’s and newborn sister’s death to the same disease. Ana learned very early that having this disease was not something you discussed with anyone. In fact, Ana became good at keeping her disease a secret. She even played mind games with herself when it came time to taking her meds. She would think of nice places to live or be so that it would make the pain and reality of being infected with HIV/AIDS go away. At a young age, Ana was forced to move from one relatives home to another, where she endured sexual abuse from an uncle. Eventually Ana and her younger sister found comfort and love at her grandmother’s home, until her grandmother passed. When her grandmother passed, she and her sister were split up and had to be placed into separate living quarters. Ana became rebellious for a quick second and was placed into a juvenile home where she meets a teenage boy named Berto who was also infected with HIV/AIDS. As she grew older and her disease needed more attention, she was placed into a different group home for HIV/AIDS victims of all ages. In this “different” group home is where Ana reconnected with Berto from the juvenile home. Ana and Berto fall in love and have a baby, whom was not born without the HIV/AIDS disease. Just like her younger sister who lived with her at her grandma’s. As Berto became sicker, he was not able to take care of Ana and their baby, so Ana moved away from Berto and eventually feel in love with another man who was able to accept her disease and take care of her baby. Ana whom is full of life and determined to live, has accepted that she has an unfortunate disease but she does not plan on letting it get the best of her.

Jenna Bush, who is George Bush’s daughter, wrote the book and read the audio version of this story very well. Her voice was perfect for this story and very soothing to the ears. She took her time and even gave emotion as she described several different events that took place in Ana’s life.