I'll Love You Forever, Anyway

The child whose mother wrote and illustrated Pat the Bunny, ``the biggest-selling American children's book,'' for her and who herself became a noted children's book writer and illustrator was to experience the pain of losing her only son. Neddy, who died unexpectedly in 1990 at 27, is the pivotal figure in this journal of grieving during the year after his death. It tracks Davis's contending with personal demons, such as the thought that her earlier alcoholism, while pregnant, may have contributed to her son's weakened heart and ultimately to his demise. It also palpably evokes a mother's love that in its endurance cuts through other emotions and helped lead to healing. The forceful expressiveness of this journal points the way to recovery for other bereaved parents. The author's most recent book for children is Honest Abe. Photos. (May)