2 comments about The Sound Of A Miracle.

1. Georgiana (Georgie) was born on May 24, 1965. She made all developmental milestones within normal limits as did her older sister, Dotsy. Speech was the only major milestone that Georgie did not make during her early years. She was nonverbal until she was 4.

   Georgie's mother had many overwhelming issues - a divorce when the girls were quite small; Georgie's aversion for any sound, music included and Dotsy's being diagnosed with leukemia at age 4.

   Annabelle naturally has Georgie tested and sent to early intervention programs. The only place where Georgie appeared to have thrived was at Bellevue Hospital because, as Georgie explained years later, "it was quiet there." Dotsy's health plummets and she dies at the age of 8 in 1971. Georgie, then 6, was sent to a residential facility identified as "Childville."

   Childville sounds like a genuine Chamber of Horrors. Georgie complains about the noise and staff dismiss her complaints. She is overmedicated and complains about how the medicines make her feel. She becomes hostile and displays aggression because she cannot tolerate noise. A social worker who sounded cruel and incompetent from the telling, identified as "Judith" seems determined to block and undermine any and all progress on Georgie's part. When Georgie shows an unusual balancing ability and begs for a skateboard, Judith refuses, telling Georgie's mother that Georgie is "overcompensating a fear." Fortunately Georgie gets her skateboard and is quite proficient on it.

   Georgie is fortunate enough to have summers free of that institutional wasteland. Luckily for all, Annabelle marries Peter, a gentle, loving man. That union produces a brother and later a sister for Georgie. Peter has grown daughters from a previous marriage and it is in this loving, blended, extended family that Georgie blossoms.

   Annabelle decides that Childville is just not the answer and withdraws Georgie in 1976. Peter had accepted a job in Switzerland, and naturally Georgie wanted to join her family. Childville staff threaten to keep Georgie by refusing to release her (how could this legally be done). Judith invokes just about every Freudian cliche possible to block Georgie's withdrawal from Childville. Fortunately, Peter and Annabelle withdraw Georgie and move to Switzerland. The medications are discontinued and for the next several years Georgie flourishes in Switzerland. She learns to ski, is mainstreamed and explains that her aversion for sound is due to having a heightened auditory sense. Luckily, she has been treated by several very humane doctors specially trained in Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) and this treatment is continued during her years abroad. One can't help but cheer when Georgie dances in the rain, explaining that the rain "doesn't sound like a machine gun anymore." Georgie said AIT literally saved her life.

   After several years abroad, the family returns to the United States. Georgie's records "mysteriously vanish" because the cruise ship she was on met with a disaster and several cartons had to be discarded. The disaster turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

   Free of previous baggage, Georgie attends a public school in Connecticut. She graduates as class valedictorian in 1984 and is currently happily married. She is now fluent in 6 languages including Arabic; is a gifted artist and very spiritual. Georgie is also an author. She has chronicled her life story in "Overcoming Autism," in which she promises readers that upon reading her book they will have a very clear understanding of what it means to have autism. The book is currently available on her web site, but it is worth reading. It is a book you will cherish.




2. This book was so riviting that I read it from cover to cover in four hours straight. I am a mother of a four year old high-functioning autistic boy. With the miriad of treatments now available I sometimes feel lost in my search to help my son. Reading Sound of a Miracle and other books told by mothers of autistic children and their struggles has helped educate me on what treatment options are available and where to focus my tedious research efforts. The author makes it clear that AIT does not produce miraculous results in every child, however, it did for her daughter and that's a story worth being told and read!

4 comments about Saving Jack: A Man's Struggle With Breast Cancer.

1. Jack Willis was my instructor and adviser for five years in Oklahoma and I was there through his ordeal with cancer. This book is the perfect mix of journalistic reporting, along with the charm of a memoir. Mr. Willis is sweet, sad, yet funny throughout the chronicles of his battle with cancer. Throughout his turmoil, he managed to produce several top notch journalists, and reading this book reminded me why he was the amazing teacher and friend that he is. I started the book one night and finished the entire thing- you simply can't put it down. Every page is heartfelt and the writing and editing is as strong as I've seen in any book.



2. This is a heartfelt book. The author takes the reader along on his journey in dealing with a disease that many people do not think men can get. From finding the tumor to a missed diagnosis through a mastectomy and chemo therpay. Jack Willis is able to draw you in with his funny and warm writing to feeling that you actually know him and his family. He does a great job of including his family and thier struggle in dealing with a loved one going through cancer. It is a must read for anyone who has had cancer and anyone who has loved someone with cancer.



3. Saving Jack is THE book to read if you or a loved one has cancer. Although it covers the author's personal experience with one type of cancer, breast cancer in a male of all things, the lessons learned are invaluable. It is a personal, first person account by a brilliant, funny and often poignant man who takes you on the roller coaster of the cancer patient's inner world. This is an excellent read for those who treat cancer patients and their families. This book is engaging from beginning to end, and I too, read it straight through! It is the best book of this area for demystifying some very scary issues on a personal level. If life hands you lemons, this is the gourmet recipe for lemonade. This book had an unexpected effect on this reviewer on the most visceral level. It was comforting. Never saw that coming.



4. SAVING JACK: A MAN'S STRUGGLE WITH BREAST CANCER provides an unusual first-person account of a man's experience of a disease normally associated with women. From being diagnosed to having a mastectomy and chemo, this provides the first book to address the issues of men who suffer from the disease. Health care and public libraries need it.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Under the Eye of the Clock.

1. To learn about such an exceptional poet who, without the faith of his family, would never have been revealed to the world, gives the reader a new view of people's limitations. I bought 12 copies of this book (when it was in print)and somehow have given them all away over time.



2. As a college English and literature instructor, I intend to make this book a required reading if it becomes available in print again. It should bless all readers because it becomes a reminder that NO matter what the circumstances, people should still be respected, loved, and appreciated. And, with this in mind, the reader may receive a self-esteem boost when being reminded of inner-personal value. I appreciate this book so much. I have three copies and continually loan them out.



3. Under the Eye of the Clock is the autobiography of Christopher Nolan, the talented young poet with cerebral palsy. He can't walk or talk or write in the usual manner. Since Nolan lacks the use of his hands, this book like Dam-Burst of Dreams, the book of poems that preceded it, was written by means of a typing stick affixed to his head. The book succeeds both as pure artistry and as a window into the world of the disabled. Nolan has re-named himself Joseph Meehan and told his story entirely in the objectivity of the third person. This brilliant stroke allows him to avoid excessive self-pity while making his sufferings and triumphs real and deep. Nolan's use of language had earned him comparisons with James Joyce, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas. Nolan stretches the meanings and implications of words, rearranges their spelling, and even invents new ones to communicate his moods and perceptions and illuminate life, his own and those he observes, with his unique poet's sensibility.



4. Christopher Nolan's "Under The Eye Of The Clock" is an autobiographical account of his incredibly awe-inspiring and miraculous life. Born a cripple, he could have been consigned to the rubbish heap but instead and against all odds became a celebrated writer of this Whitbread Book winner, "The Banyan Tree" as well as an early book of poems. Without taking anything away from Joseph Meehan (a self portrait of Nolan), he couldn't have overcome his debilitating handicaps to scale the heights he did without the steady support and tender loving care of his family. A father, mother and sister who are such warm and emotionally intelligent human beings anybody would be blessed and proud to have them as family. The school principals, teachers and fellow students who accepted him, nurtured him and gave him the chance to prove himself equal to the best among physically whole human specimens are themselves shining examples of humanity who deserve as much recognition in Nolan's lifestory. Although it has been compared with James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man", it is in reality nothing like it. Whereas Joyce's work is for the most part depressing and full of pain and harshness, Nolan's story is so morally uplifting you almost forget its grave subject matter. Nolan's dazzling and inventive writing style is also unique and something to relish. He coins and mints new words which have a yet found a conventional meaning but are so emotionally accurate you know they're right. Read this if you're feeling down and need something to restore your faith in mankind !



5. I found my way to this book after I had read "The Banyan Tree" by Christopher Nolan. This was a book that I read and reviewed back in February, and ever since I have been mystified why the book never seemed to gain the wide acceptance of readers. All of the reviews that have been posted by readers for "The Banyan Tree" have been 5 star reviews, and the same is the case for "Under The Eye Of The Clock".

   If you read you understand how difficult it is to write anything, much less a full book, and then have it selected for and win a prestigious award. In the case of the book I review now it was the 1987 Whitbred Award that was awarded to Mr. Nolan. All very impressive, but that's just the start.

   This is an autobiography written by a very young man who next wrote the book "The Banyan Tree" and would take 12 years to do so. This is a painfully candid, but uplifting book about a man with the support of a wonderful Family overcomes extreme realities that are his life to become an Author of international renown.

   Mr. Nolan cannot speak, he can barely move at all. He types with what he calls his "Unicorn Stick" that he wears on his head, and even then his head must be supported while he works.

   An Autobiography is a courageous work if honestly presented. When you add Mr. Nolan's additional challenges he faces as a writer, and as a person living with his physical issues it becomes an extraordinary autobiographical book.

   I hope more readers find Mr. Nolan, he is a unique writer of immense talent, and if you pass by his work you deprive yourself of great literature.

5 comments about Listening with My Heart.

1. I am inspired by Heather Whitestone when I read this book...she is an inspiration to many deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals like myself. She taught me in this book that no matter the outcome, anyone with a disability can do just about anything in life...even marrying a good, handsome man named John McCallum and being the first deaf Miss America. This Christian autobiography is one of my favorites because it is very interesting to read and there are good pictures of her and her husband, family, even deaf actress Marlee Matlin. I even noticed by reading this book is that Heather and I have things in common with each other such as we both grew up as oral deaf. I love this book and I know you will too...you will enjoy it as much as I did.



2. Because I have a grandbaby who was just diagnosed with profound deafness, I have been reading all the books I can about how deafness affects those who are deaf. Heather Whitestone's story was so inspirational and gave me a great deal of insight of how it feels to be deaf and different from the hearing world, and to understand what obstacles might arise, and to take heart knowing that most can be overcome if you have faith and the fortitude to meet the challenge. Her story also gives insight into the debate between the use of sign language, oral education, and cochlear implants, and the prejudice that still exists among some people in the deaf culture. A truly informative and inspiring book.



3. This was a really good autobiography about Heather Whitestone, former Miss America. She talks about her struggles as a deaf person and her experience as Miss America, and how God has worked in her life.
   
   I really enjoyed her book. I like how she was so open about her struggles with a deaf person. She didn't feel like she fit into the deaf world or the hearing world. Yet, she continues to persevere, and with God's help, she overcomes her obstacles to become Miss America. And she is open with her struggles as Miss America, too. She talks about the need for privacy and her struggles with criticism from the press.
   
   A great, inspirational book.



4. Struggling to come up with title for this review shouldn't have happened, for "refreshing" describes this enjoyable read.
   
   Heather is an honest, open and Christian person. Her humility to share her fears, exasperations, even private darker moments is refreshing!
   
   And then there is her deafness. She is honest and open here as well, lamenting at times the deaf culture, but also showing sensitivity to their plight.
   
   I'm a page-bender, underliner, note-taker kind of reader who continually marks passages in the great reads that I have, and this book has so many of them. I wanted to communicate them in this review, but will choose to just give some salient phrases from them so that you'll read this marvelous book: "going to bed means getting some sleep"; returned autographs which included Scripture quotes; Miss America wearing a clown on her head; dreaming and God's Word.
   
   Haven't read such a refreshing work in quite some time; treasure as a precious Christmas gift that it was.



5. really good book. only thing not perfect is the quality of the pictures in the softcover version. Otherwise great.

5 comments about My Sense of Silence: Memoirs of a Childhood with Deafness.

1. How to adequately praise an amazing memoir that is by turns comic, tragic, brave, immensely kind (never cloying) and seemingly photographically rendered? Davis presents the reader with how his young life looked, smelled, sounded - and most importantly, how it felt. It's a remarkable story of growing up in the now-lost world of the working-class Bronx (Tremont Avenue) of the 1950's, the much younger of two sons of smart, devoted, hard-working Jewish British immigrant parents, who are also "stone deaf," in his father's words. His mother lost her hearing in childhood, and so can speak and be understood by the hearing world; his father lost his as a baby. The circumstances surrounding these events are examined, too. Their shared disability both constricted and greatly enlarged his life.

   Young Davis was deeply loved by his parents, but hyper-responsible and desperate for contact and life in the outside world. Readers are given the terrific minutiae of his life as a child - the weekly dinner menu at home, the interior of his family's apartment, life at school, the kindesses of teachers and his parents' friends in the deaf community, (lower case "d," , then) the neighbors, and the sights, sounds, smells of family life, including what he describes as a nearly religious object (because of course his father couldn't hear baseball on the radio): an Emerson Console TV. A very personal iconography of Television -- he develops a superhero alterego he calls "The Zenth" -- is part of the immense charm and humor of Davis' story. (Years later, he finds the exact same Emerson Console in a junk shop in upstate New York, another great scene in this book.) In the chapter "Honeymoon with Mom," he goes to England to visit relatives. The cozy domesticity and accepting, familial love - the music in every house, English candy - that he finds there is movingly described.

   From the confines and immense security of his family's one-bedroom apartment Davis learns difficulty and differentness of being the hypervigilant hearing child - conscientious, smart, and emotionally desperate, sometimes - of Deaf parents. There are two brothers in this family, and their interesting but troubled relationship is examined with compassion and intelligence.

   Davis is a careful writer with a wonderful and loving sense of the world. Not a word has been wasted. By the way, "Zenth" becomes a Professor of English. His generosity in revealing his life to us is immeasurable. The full picture of the old neighborhood is in itself an excellent historical narrative. You can smell the food - and hear the voices. It's also very funny at times. One of the best autobiographies I've ever read.




2. I have read several books of this gen-re, growing up with deaf parents. This one has its own, unique slant. I loved it, and I'm sure you will, too. It's fascinating when a person with parents of any particular group can look back at their childhood and explain things as they saw them through the eyes of their childhood. Mr. Davis describes his young feelings with insight and clarity and makes you understand exactly where he's coming from. It's a wonderful book, made even more special by the rainbow of seldom-heard, but easy to read, descriptive vocabulary used throughout.



3. It was very enlightening to learn of a hearing individual's experience being raised by deaf parents...the author's first awareness of his parents' deafness, his alertness and response to nighttime sounds, his role as interpreter even as a small child, his excitement at attending school surrounded by those who could hear, his need as a young adult to escape his limiting home environment, etc. However, there were times during my reading when I felt the author strayed from what I perceived as the main intent of the writing, that is, to understand or empathize with the difficulties and problems of growing up in a somewhat restricted household (at least, in his mind). These were the parts of his story that were not as interesting, and I wanted to hurry through them to get to the portions where I learned something about the deaf experience. Otherwise, it was a very good book and well done. I did notice that the author at times used sentence structure reminiscent of his descriptions of "deaf speak". I wondered whether this was intentional or just a slip to his past.



4. This could become a classic. I really felt everything he wrote about. I felt badly for him - his childhood was rather bleak. However, his intelligence and good humor won the day and he has become a successful person, as a writer, in academia and his personal, family life. To me this shows that unique situations often produce unique people, and in this there is hopefulness for those of us who feel we grew up as "outsiders." Frankly, I think everyone fits into that category one way or another, so I recommend this book to...everyone.



5. Davis writes extremely well and the images of his youth are quite powerful. He also does an excellent job conveying the difficulties of relating to his parents.

   However, he can never seem to escape from a level of self pity. Though he ascribes this to his parent's deafness, often one wonders if his feelings are not rooted in his own deep classism. Much of what he describes as his youthful dificulties are not uncommon to find in the writtings of other children of working class immigrant jews. The embarassment he feels seems far more driven by this than his parents inability to hear.

   I grew a bit tired of his deep self pity, perpetually describing himself as the victim of almost every circumstance.

   In one poinient passage, he describes how his mother had once been courted by a wealthy english suitor whom she rejected. He wonders why she chose not marry this "catch." I myself wonder if davis would not have much prefered for this to be the case. It seems he would rather have been the child of the wealthy deaf than of the hearing poor.

   While it is worth the read, other worthy texts by children of the deaf are far less self involved.

5 comments about Secret Girl.

1. I picked up this book at the library, hoping for a good story, with some hope for the family involved. Instead I was treated to a self-absorbed writers account of her fight with alcoholism and little of her relationship with her sister.
   I work in a group home setting, and often see families who are not involved, for various reasons. I hoped this book would give me some insight. But it didn't. It offered cliches and explored the rest of the family's surface reactions only. I was disappointed to see that Anne was once more abandoned at the end, when she needed family desperately. The story offered within this book only served to reinforce why I work where I do and why what I am doing is important.



2. I thought this book a truly honest look at this Authors Cathartic experience through a life of unforgivable misfortunes. A truly sad story but I was glad that I read it. This book is a must read for anyone that has ever given birth to a child. This book more than anything was a window into the parenting choices that are made.



3. I got through this book in 24 hrs, but can't say i will pass it on to any friends....its an interesting story but lacks the juice i wanted.



4. but it really wasn't. The cover and the subject of the memoir caught my interest..but it really wasn't worth my time to read it. Only a couple parts kept my interest long enough to keep reading. I thought the book completely lost momentum at the end.



5. This book was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It makes you want to count your blessings more often. The author is so honest and true to herself, she doesn't mince words with her feelings, even if it doesn't put her in the most favorable light. It makes you try and imagine what it would have been like if you had no family on Christmas, or your birthday, or to be institutionalized your whole life-how you would never really know what you were missing because you never got to experience it in the first place. Anyone who is ever feeling sorry for themselves or not appreciative of what they have in life, needs to read this book!

No comments about Alive and Fighting: Coping with a Brain Tumor and a Bone Marrow Transplant.

1 comments about Embracing Ashley: One Mother's Reflections on Raising a Child With Special Needs.

1. The author tells the story of the journey her family has taken from the day her daughter was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder. She generously shares details about her daughter's condition and her frustrations and fears.
   
   While this book is written for parents, her words also send a very kind and strong message to those who work with children with special needs and their parents and families.
   
   In the end, though, this is a story who lovingly writes about embracing her daughter's gifts and the privilege of being Ashley's mother.

5 comments about Saving Adam.

1. If you liked "The Christmas Box", you'll LOVE "Saving Adam"! If you were unimpressed with "The Christmas Box", you'll be VERY impressed with "Saving Adam"! It also contains elements comparable to "A Child Called 'It'" by Dave Pelzer and the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. I've never before seen a book written so masterfully as to contain no places, no dates, no times, no names (other than "Adam") and done successfully. It's hard to tell whether this story is about the boy or the mother. What is clear is that one miracle after another adds up to one miraculous, true story that no one should do without! This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who works with children!



2. "Saving Adam" by L. Smith is one evening's read that will stay with you. Told primarily from the viewpoint of a woman for whom perseverance and faith are bywords, I was inspired to read it through to the end in one sitting.

   A tad short on some of the writing skills we are accustomed to finding in memoirs, this story works for me. It is told with humor, the language is spare and the protagonist is a woman in charge of her own destiny. It also does not preach. It simply tells the story of a woman who loves and, in doing so, affects the lives of those around her.

   One of the other reviewers mentioned that this book should be turned into a movie. Darn right! The central character is any novelist's or screenwriter's dream.

   "Saving Adam" is, in short, a poem to the universe without a single poetic phrase between its covers.

   Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"




3. Saving Adam was a book that can be enjoyed for the purity of human love it provides for the reader. When one is looking for the "perfect" family situation to put a child into, they don't always find what is considered "normal" for everyone. Adam thrived because he was loved, accepted and given the opportunity to grow with his family. Biology doesn't insure that a child will be loved and taken proper care of. I laughed, I cried, I loved every word of Adam's story. It is sad only that he has to wait to be reunited with his Mom in Heaven. They had such little time together, but it was quality. Who could ask for more from a parent/child relationship? I recommend this book to anyone that needs to be reminded how lucky we are to have the loving families that we do and to never take advantage of the love we are given so freely by our families.



4. I couldnt' put it down!! I mean, it is a very short book. About 60 pages or so, but it was wonderful. I read it in an hour.
   I think that every foster parent should read this. I only wish there were more details about his childhood before he got sent to the Smith's. I liked that it had a happy ending and that Adam found success in his life after what he had been through.
   Read this book. It's a must!!!



5. I grew up with L. Smith and Adam's family-they went to my church. I remember Adam and the amazing changes in him when he was taken in and mothered by this extraordinary women. Her funeral was the first I ever went to and it sticks in my mind to this day. All who knew her felt the loss. Adam was truly a lucky young man to have been loved this way. I haven't read the book but plan to buy it and read it soon.

5 comments about Man, Interrupted: Welcome to the Bizarre World of OCD, Where Once More is Never Enough.

1. There were 2 things that struck me in particular when reading this book.
   One was James' honesty which enables the reader to acquire a rare and fascinating insight into the life of an individual suffering from such a disabling & severe condition.
   I learned a heck of a lot about OCD through reading this book & I found it most fascinating to read about James' real life experiences.
   Secondly was the humour that was rife throughout the book. James is clearly blessed with the ability to transform any scenario, no matter how daunting, into something so funny it just tickles you.
   I loved every word. Brilliant.



2. Until last week, I didn't know the slightest thing about him, or about his book, until he went and introduced himself through MySpace, something that led to the inevitable reading of said book, and something that I'm really glad that I did. It's 222 pages of one of the most incredibly well written, fresh and original books that you're ever likely to read, a word of warning though, it really will make you question yourself, and exactly how pernickety you are. We all have an OCD, we may not realise it, or we do, and it's just insignificant, but we rarely externalises our OCD, are never forced to justify it, or explain it away, usually we're able to sufficiently hide it enough to function, but it wouldn't take much for everyone to collapse under the weight of it, and only a small percentage could ever do what James Bailey did, namely building himself back up. All of the patients in his book really do stand out too, because they're chillingly real, but then I suppose that's because they actually are, but he's managed to render them better than anyone else could have. It really is like reading the transcript of a Docu-Soap, and I'm not talking about an episode of "Cops", but an English one, because it's unapologetic, and gritty. What James Bailey has written is brutally honest, and I don't think that I've ever read that level of honestly, that level of shameless exposure; he made me feel like I lived it with him. Reading this book made me look at myself a little differently, maybe a little more clearly, but it also made me a friend in James Bailey, and that was well worth the cost of a good book ;-)



3. Through my sister, I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr. Bailey himself. Before reading his book, I did not know much about him, only that he was a very jovial fellow. So it is no wonder why my jaw dropped periodically while reading Man Interrupted. I could not believe that the events unfolding on the pages before me were from the life of this man whom I saw so frequently. The experience of being acquainted with Mr. Bailey and reading his book reminded me that everyone has a story of their own, explaining who they are, where they come from, and what trials they had to overcome (and Mr. Bailey's were no small feat). Man Interrupted gives great insight into a world that many people may not think about. At the same time it is hilarious, relatable, and touching. I actually laughed out loud, which is a rare occurrence when I read. It is one of the most engrossing books I have ever read, and is worth every penny and minute spent on it.



4. I was eager to read this book as I am every book on an individual's struggle with OCD. While a worthy effort, I didn't think the author spent enough time concentrating on his own OCD, and a bit too much time poking fun at his fellow patients' symptoms. I was disappointed in that aspect. Overall a very honest account, and I applaud the author for writing it, but his girl chasing habits and the amount of time devoted to that issue can get rather old.



5. This enlightening yet funny book takes you through the story of one mans recovery from OCD. A very entertaining easy read that will not only open your eyes to the many forms of OCD and the toll it takes on its sufferers, but will also show you ways of overcoming them. A brilliant read for all.