''April Fool's Day'' is a 1993 book by Australian author
Bryce Courtenay
Arthur Bryce Courtenay, (14 August 1933 – 22 November 2012) was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book '' The Power of One''.
Background and early ye ...
. The book is a biography of and tribute to the author's son, Damon Courtenay, a
haemophiliac who contracted
HIV/AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
through an infected
blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's Circulatory system, circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used ...
. The title refers to the date of Damon's death, 1 April 1991 (
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. ...
).
Damon was a classic haemophiliac all his life. He attempted to write this book himself but did not have much success. On his death bed, he asked his father to write it for him. Damon talked a lot about love; he believed it was important that everybody knew how to love. Evidence of this is his attitude towards people who treated people with AIDS unfairly. Not much was known about AIDS back then and those affected were stigmatized. To quote his devoted partner Celeste, "Love is an energy, it cannot be created nor destroyed. It simply ''is''. Giving meaning to life and direction to goodness."
Sources
Bryce Courtenay's official webpage
1993 Australian novels
Novels by Bryce Courtenay
Novels about HIV/AIDS
Random House books
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