New Book “Leave Your Light On” Tells the Inspiring Story of Ryder Buck, Son of “Frozen” and “Frozen 2” Director Chris Buck; Director’s Son Defeats Cancer Only to Lose His Life in Fatal Car Accident Six Months Later

An incredible journey of love, courage and spirit is chronicled in “Leave Your Light On,” a new book by Shelley Buck about the life and death of her son Ryder, who co-authored the book posthumously through his writings.

Ryder Buck is the son of Disney director Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and artist Shelley Buck. Ryder, a singer-songwriter, was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 at the age of 22. After undergoing surgery and extensive treatments, he was cancer-free within eight months of his diagnosis. Six months after defeating cancer, at the age of 23, Ryder tragically died after getting hit by a car on a freeway after his car broke down.

“Leave Your Light On” will be released July 6, 2020 and is available in hardcover ($24.99), paperback ($18.99), e-book ($9.99) and audiobook (releasing soon). The 214-page book is published by Eagle’s Quest Publishing and available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org and other book retailers. More information is available at http://www.leaveyourlightonbook.com.

Chris Buck dedicated his 2014 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for “Frozen” to Ryder’s memory. Ryder was an inspiration for the song “The Next Right Thing” from “Frozen 2” and the film’s character, Ryder Nattura, was named after him. The Disney+ series “Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2” features a segment about Ryder.

“Shelley has done an extraordinary job capturing the impact Ryder had on us and the world during his short life,” said Chris Buck. “Ryder was the type of person who inspired others to be and do their best and he was such a gift to us in so many ways.”

“Leave Your Light On” is the story of how Ryder adapted to life after learning he had cancer and how that inspired him and changed his relationship with his parents and the world around him. Told through first person accounts, recollections from friends and family and Ryder’s own words from his journals and social media posts, the book shows a parent-child relationship challenged by an unrelenting illness and a young man’s determination to live life on his own terms. The book was co-written with writer Kathy Curtis, with the title coming from a song written by Ryder about maintaining a positive attitude.

“His legacy lives on through this story, which I hope will inspire many people who are faced with the difficulty of hearing and processing bad news,” said Shelley Buck. “We can’t always change what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it.”

Ryder was a young man with an unstoppable dream to lift people up through his music. While cancer should have beaten him, Ryder rose above it all to live from a place of passion. In this uplifting and powerful story, readers will meet an unforgettable person determined to accept his own quirks and flaws with humor and see a parent-child relationship tested by an unrelenting disease followed by the grief of an entire family.

Acclaim for “Leave Your Light On”

“Leave Your Light On is a beautiful and heartbreaking journey that highlights the lessons we learn from profound loss. Shelley and Ryder teach us that despite the weight of life’s most tragic circumstance, wisdom, perspective and humor always find a way to rise to the top.”

- Kristen Bell, actress

“No matter when you encounter Shelley Buck, it is impossible not to be somehow transformed. Her raw willingness to trust, share and guide is all evidenced in this new memoir, where she recounts the unforgettable journey of love, struggle, loss and discovery, led by her son, Ryder.”

- Thomas Schumacher, president, Walt Disney Theatrical Productions

“Leave Your Light On is one of the most honest, visceral and inspiring books about love, loss, grief and survival. There’s no greater loss than that of a child, but Shelley Buck turns her loss into a gift for the world. She gives us the light of her son to carry with us as he inspires us to live our best lives.”

- Jennifer Lee, CCO, Walt Disney Feature Animation





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Copy of book available by contacting [email protected]

Title: Leave Your Light On: The Musical Mantra Left Behind by an Illuminating Spirit

Publisher: Eagle’s Quest Publishing

ISBN-10: 1734484403

ISBN-13: 978-1734484403

Format/Price: hardcover, $24.99; paperback, $18.99; e-book, $9.99; audiobook releasing soon

Release Date: July 6, 2020

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005397/en/