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No Sad Story is the plight of a Christian woman, single mother, survivor, evangelist and prayer warrior. It is a heart-warming tale of a courageous woman who, through pain and despair, remained faithful in worship and never lost hope.

Born in 1933, Bertrina Lawson was raised along with a sister and nine step-siblings by her mother and step-father. On the tails of a tumultuous childhood, she married at fifteen and, at sixteen, accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior. She birthed six beautiful children whom she loved dearly. Following periods of separation from her adulterous husband, a former pastor who ultimately abandoned her and her children, she learned that she had AIDS at the age of 60. She had been infected by her husband a decade prior and had lived with HIV, unknowingly, until it was too late and had progressed to AIDS. Despite all the challenges she faced and her battle with the AIDS virus, she never lost faith in her Father God. She maintained a positive outlook on life and raised her children to be strong and full of faith. A beacon of light to her children, she often told them “No Sad Story!” and inspired them to rise above life’s challenges.

The author, Valerie Laverne Lawson-Watkins, tells her mother’s harrowing story in order to share strength and resolve with anyone who may be experiencing similar challenges. As the only daughter, raised with five brothers, her Mother was her best friend. Valerie and her husband, Ronald Watkins, have a blended family with two sons, two daughters, and ten grandchildren. Valerie has her mother to thank for being her inspiration and for showing her that, no matter life’s challenges, she too can live life with No Sad Story.

“I had the privilege of knowing Mother Lawson in the early years of my ministry. In spite of her tragic circumstances she exhibited a triumphant attitude. Her courage inspires us all to endure whatever comes with grace and dignity!” – Bishop TD Jakes June 2014