How Much Big Is the Sky is a mother's searingly melodic and eloquent love song to her teenage son, Ryan, following his sudden death resulting from a car crash. Sherry Chapman captures the intimacy and immediacy of her experience with a rare combination of profound tenderness, literary skill, and raw candor in a powerful narrative that deeply resonates with readers. Structured in five parts resembling the various stages of grief, this unforgettable account of love and loss is not just a story but an experience, inviting readers to explore the depths of a mother's heart.
How Much Big Is the Sky has been celebrated for its literary excellence with multiple awards. Reviewers laud Chapman's work as "...one of those memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf..." (Midwest Book Review); and as "...heart-wrenching, descriptive, and powerful...with striking lyricism...candor and grace…" (The BookLife Prize); and as "...a brave recollection of a shattering loss..." (Kirkus Reviews).
Literary Awards and Honors Include:
*Winner, Gold Medal, non-fiction, 2021 Kindle Book Awards*
*Winner, Gold Medal, adult non-fiction, 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards*
*Winner, Outstanding Memoir category, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards*
*Winner, Memoir, 2020 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award*
*Winner, Grief, 2020 National Indie Excellence Award*
*Winner, Silver Medal, non-fiction – Grief/Hardship, 2020 Readers' Favorite*
*Winner, second place, non-fiction, 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards*
*Honoree, 2020, B.R.A.G. Medallion*