The Power Of Hope: The moving no.1 bestselling memoir from TV’s Kate Garraway

An excellent, positive read and very well-written

The pandemic has hit all our lives for more than a year now, but some people have been affected more than others. Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper was admitted to hospital at the end of last March with coronavirus like symptoms. The former political adviser then spent more than a year in hospital and was placed in a coma. He has only recently been able to return home to be with his wife and his two children, Darcey and Billy. Unfortunately, he can’t really move, and he has little communication. Garraway book, The Power of Hope, is a very moving account of Derek’s illness and how she and her family have had to adjust to deal with what has happened to him. It is hope which has helped her and her children find a way forward through some very challenging times. She writes at the end of the book: “Hope is not a desire, a longing for something that means we’ve failed if we don’t achieve it. It’s the belief that you get through anything with love, standing shoulder to shoulder with people and looking forward. Hope is holding on to these things, even when you feel that nothing will ever change.” The book is also a devastating account of how Covid can affect many parts of someone’s body and not just their lungs. Doctors have said that Derek Draper was among the sickest people to have survived from coronavirus. The fantastic work of the doctors, nurses and specialists who have treated Covid patients throughout the pandemic is also highlighted. During Derek’s illness a member of the Royal family did what they could to help him, and offered the services of a royal physician. There has been signs of hope for Derek, such as when he pushed his glasses back to the top of his nose and when he moved his right hand. Garraway describes it as if Derek is pulling himself up on a rope and some days, he is further up the rope. Then at other time he seems further away. It has understandably been a very emotional time for Garraway and she writes: “I had been swinging between two extremes of emotion: joy at the chance of him living, fear of the tsunami of grief at him dying.” This book is a very open account of a family’s battle against coronavirus and the hope they have for the future.

I thought this book was going to be just like the Finding Derek documentary but on paper but how wrong was I! Read it in 2 days on holiday, totally compelling & addictive. I laughed, cried & constantly said out loud “oh god”, literally every few pages. How Kate Garraway coped/is coping is mind blowing. A huge insight into a family’s world rocked by such a horrific experience. How she had time to put this book together I don’t know. If you think you’ve got a rotten lot, read this. It’ll definitely put your life into perspective. Congratulations on such an incredible book x

It was a gentle read. Probably because Kate Garraway seems like a quite a gentle person. I originally bought this for a clinical read rather than an inspirational one but the medical detail is far less than I expected. It really is the journey of a woman who doesn’t want to give up on her husband and she should be very proud of herself. My only criticism is the fact that, due to her profile, she had the weight of the celeb/medical world on her side. Elton John, Prince Charles (amongst others) all offering help and support - many people in Derek’s (Kate’s husband) position would not have been this fortunate and many would have died without the medical care that Derek was lucky enough to receive. BUT there are parts that are very sad and I feel desperately sorry for their little family. I would say it’s probably a tad long and I skim read the last third of it.

For over a year the whole world has been living the nightmare of Covid, but for those of us lucky enough to be relatively unaffected, it's easy to look at the cost merely as statistics. And the death toll is terrible, but that overlooks the numbers of people whose lives have been changed forever without becoming a part of the deaths statistic. Not just the survivors who are living with life-changing physical and psychological conditions, but those who love and care for them. Derek Draper is at the far extreme of this scale, his doctors even queried whether he was meant to have lived. Sadly, he caught Covid early enough in the pandemic that treatments the could have mitigated his outcome were not yet available. As such, doctors were learning all the time and Derek's case has brought new knowledge to help future patients, one form of hope Kate Garraway brings out in her book. Kate and her family's courageous battle over the last year is told with such candour that you feel personally drawn into their situation. Closing the book feels wrong, as it is still ongoing, and the hope that Kate underpins the book with is constantly being buffeted and challenged. No one can fail to admire the stoic and tenacious way that she deals with what fate has dealt out, and the love that has driven her efforts to do everything possible to save Derek, and give him back what family life can be possible. Her strength is incredible, and the children too. I couldn't put this book down, and I also rewatched the documentary. It is a harrowing account of our time, but the message is a positive one, the power of hope.

Lovely, honest story about hope and love and the struggles of living with covid, well written from the heart. Highly recommend

Good read

This is a powerful and interesting book . Kate you are such an inspiration ! Through all your dark times ( and you’ve had more than your fair share ) you have a positivity that is so incredible to read about . Even though you are a celebrity and have many celebrity friends , you are the most down to earth and grounded celebrity I’ve ever heard of . Definitely recommend this but just beware , it’s not always a happy read.

Could not stop reading until I reached the end of this book. So interestingly written and with such honesty about how to cope with a sudden and unexpected crisis in ones life. I have lost my ability to walk normally a few weeks after my 1st covid jab and two years later have not received any helpful or definitive diagnosis. Covid has negatively affected the world for sure and this book is such an amazing story on how to focus on the positives in ones life. Thank you Kate for sharing your story - there were so many lessons that I learnt from it and will try hard to put them into practice in my own life.