This painful, poignant, and inspiring memoir not only illuminates the grief of a mother but also considers the hope of soulful connections that transcend life. When their only child was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at the age of two, Maryanne O’Hara and her husband were told that Caitlin could live a long life, or she could die by Christmas. Caitlin’s devastating death at age 33 followed an excruciating two year on the transplant list, far from home, and a desperate last-minute search for lungs while Caitlin clung to life. After Caitlin’s passing, signs began to appear—poignant, persistent synchronicities that seemed to lean toward proof of Caitlin’s enduring soul. Braiding a series of interconnected meditations with illuminating glimpses of life rendered via text messages, emails, and journal entries, Little Matches is a raw but uplifting reflection on existence, on motherhood, on living with chronic uncertainty, and on finding inspiration in the unexpected sparks that inevitably light what is dark.