Recovering Life

This one-of-a-kind gift book also features intimate portraits in color and black & white of Charisse and Darryl taken by photographer Toshi Kazama, which will engage families as well as sports lovers.

Recovering Life is a message of inspiration and healing from baseball's most controversial player and his wife. In it Charisse and Darryl Strawberry discuss Darryl's frightening bout with cancer and his treatment, the strength of their family's bonds and the devastating losses they've endured. They also address the tough issues of this past spring, and the many roads they've both had to travel internally to reach a deeper understanding of their life and its gifts. Recovering Life reveals a couple never seen before--the humor, grace, and deep intelligence of both this man whose talents on the ballfield are undisputed and the woman whose resilience and spirit anchors their home.

This one-of-a-kind gift book also features intimate portraits in color and black & white of Charisse and Darryl taken by photographer Toshi Kazama, which will engage families as well as sports lovers.

Darryl Strawberry was born in Los Angeles on March 12, 1962. Charisse Simon was born five years later on January 21, 1967 in Salt Lake City Utah. In 1975, Darryl began his baseball career with Little League; that same year Charisse moved with her family to Sweden for her father's career (he was a professional basketball player). Darryl graduated from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles in 1980.

That same year he was chosen by the New York Mets with the Number 1 pick In the amateur draft. Darryl's career with the Mets was an extraordinary one. Some highlights include: 1983: National League Rookie of the year; 1986: led all major leaguers in All-Star voting; 1987: joined 30-30 club, hitting a 30 home runs and stealing 36 bases; 1988: led National League with 39 home runs and finished second in National League Most Valuable Player voting. Darryl went on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, the Northern League's St. Paul Saints, and finally headed back to New York for his present tenure with the Yankees.

Charisse was attending Cal State at Fullerton and studying for a career in broadcast journalism when she met Darryl in 1991. Two years later they married. They have two children from their marriage, Jordan and Jade, and two children from Darryl's first marriage, Darryl Jr. and Diamond Nicole. Darryl and Charisse have been long-time members of St. Stephen Baptist Church in La Puente, California where Darryl volunteers in the church's ministry to the homeless. In 1998, Darryl was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery and treatment. This November 15 Darryl and Charisse will release a book they have written together. Published by The Plough Publishing House, RECOVERING LIFE, marks the first time the couple talk about Darryl's cancer diagnosis, his on-going involvement in alcohol and drug rehabilitation, and the deep spiritual beliefs that have helped them both through the years.