A picket fence is seen by some as a symbol of the ideal middle-class suburban life. This symbol was certainly the priority for the Gunnett family. With a toddler and five-month old, everything seemed to be going as planned for this teacher and engineer. All of that changed the summer of 2003. Diagnosed with cancer, the father spends a full year battling a rare form of lymphoma. Daily e-mails were sent to a growing list of family and friends as his wife shared their difficult journey. The human spirit depicted in the e-mails are raw and often candid, chronicling the journey from grief to joy. These e-mails, which began as an efficient communication method, grew from an audience of 10 to thousands. In the end, fireflies and picket fences have an entirely new meaning that changed not only the lives of this one family, but those who shared in their journey. A true story of pain, suffering, appreciation and hope, this is a great book for any reader looking for a silver lining.