Fighting Back: What Some People Are Doing about AIDS

Focusing on a team of volunteers and their buddies, Susan Kuklin shows what it is like to be part of the struggle against AIDS. "I'm not a victim," says Michael. "I'm living with an illness." As patients and caregivers describe their personal experiences, we understand just how important it is to fight back.

Format: Paperback

“Kuklin adds to the growing body of AIDS-related literature with this moving documentation of a group of people who volunteer to help people with AIDS by providing support for them and doing their daily chores. The volunteers, a team of “buddies” for New York City’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis, are a diverse group of men and women, straight and gay, who have chosen to make a difference in the fight against AIDS. The portraits of the volunteers and their clients show the physical and emotional strain that can come of dealing with a debilitating illness daily, while they also reveal depths of courage and strength. Kuklin includes much information regarding the transmission of the HIV virus, antibody testing, orthodox and alternative treatments, and aspects of day-to-day living with the disease. Powerful black-and-white photos of the people mentioned in the book make the stories all the more personal. The book humanizes a serious disease about which many are prejudiced, and it encourages understanding. Certainly, this book should be shared widely among people whose lives have been affected by AIDS. The level of commitment shown by the team of buddies and the spirit of the PWAs will speak to everyone…”—School Library Journal, starred review