5 comments about Early Birds: A Mother's Story for Our Times (Vintage).

1. This book was wonderfully written. It really helped me cope with my own twins being born premature. I recommend this book to anyone who has gone through a NICU experience, especially if your still feeling numb. It was a good break from reading clinical books about NICU issues.



2. Nice story of the experience of premature birth and motherhood. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to face such trying circumstances, and I'm very glad the story has a happy ending.
   
   I did get sidetracked by Minton's apparant "blame" of twins to her RE, however. On one level I kept thinking how could she not have thought thru this process, or done her homework or research as an educated health care consumer, instead of blaming everybody else after the fact?
   
   Oh -- and as someone else mentioned, there are far too many irrelevant details or tangents. Minton is really, really proud of going to Groton. I lost count of how many times that fact was mentioned even in places seemingly irrelevant.



3. I gave birth to twins at 32 weeks in NYC this year and they spent 6 weeks in the NICU. About a week before they came home, I was sitting on my bed, crying and feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't have them home with me, when I saw Jenny on TV discussing her new book. I immediately picked it up from the library and read it in 2 days. It was so similiar to my own experience and I thought she did a wonderful job of sharing all aspects of life during this time. The major difference being my twins were spontaneous (not from fertility treatments). There were many similiarites in the small details like her husband looking for a job when they were born (mine was too) and her father in law's struggle with cancer (my mother in law was in the midst of her cancer battle at the time as well). Also her feelings about moving out of NYC to a house in the suburbs closer to her husband's new job(we did this about a month after they came home, too) This side information may have seemed irrelevant to some, but when you are so intent on focusing on your babies survival from a premature birth, the other things going on in your life can add such an extra stress that you don't know how you can handle it all. So thank you Jenny for putting together such a wonderful story. I'm so glad you did it because I am such a poor writer. If anyone ever wants to hear how I felt through my experience I can point them to your book and tell them to read it because it says all that I would have wanted to say in an effortless, easy to read format.



4. I came very close to giving this book 5 stars, as I so much appreciated and related to much written in it. I too was a mother of a preemie, and I have had so many of the worries with each of my three children that Jenny had with hers. I loved hearing about her struggle to decide whether to go back to work or not. So many times, mothers make this out to be such a cut-and-dried decision---they are sure they want to, or they would never consider it. I think the process for many women is much like it was for me or for the author here---a hard decision to make, despite loving both the kids and the job so much! I was touched by hearing about how Jenny felt sad whenever she started pumping milk---my 3rd child would never nurse, and I had a horrible wave of sadness every time that machine turned on!
   
   It's somewhat ironic that most of my quibbles with this book are editing related, considering its author was an editor. I think this is perhaps because the subject was so dear to her heart it was hard to leave out much. But we really didn't need random unrelated details about her extended family, or to hear for the third time musings on whether the boys would want to go to Groton, or details of small incidents like when a sister's boyfriend doesn't want to eat dinner with her, that really have o connection to the main story. I didn't feel this way about any details about the boys themselves---I guess mothers love to read about mothering and children---but there were just so many extraneous details here about so many things it almost felt like filler.
   
   However, I do strongly recommend this book to anyone who has had a preemie, twins or is deciding on an infertility treatment. All these are topics which need more memoirs written about them!



5. I wish I could agree with the other reviewers about this book - I have a soft spot for the subject matter considering that I also had a preemie baby at 31 weeks that was conceived through IVF due to infertility. But something about this book just left me cold - I just didn't feel the emotion in the writing. While I could relate on many levels the experience and the feelings of the author, I just didn't seem to connect with her.

5 comments about Absent Memories: Moving Forward When You Can't Look Back.

1. "Absent Memories", is a great read. Our existence can change in a day. Rebecah may not have intended to become an advocate for people with memory problems, but she is. I wish this author continual success.



2. While reading Absent Memories, I had to pause several times to absorb what the author went through. After five hours I finished. This is one of those books that once you start you can't put down.
   
   Until reading this book I never really thought much about memory. I took it for granted. When I thought about it, I recalled that when family members get together past memories always come up. When friends gather memories of the good old days are hashed over and over again.
   
   It was hard to imagine not being able to remember my parents, or how much fun my brothers and sister had growing up.
   
   I was amazed by how quick she had to learn how to make a living, let alone cope with a strange new world. She lived alone but couldn't remember her past work experience or education. I can see why there would be fear and panic. It must have been horrific to wake up each day with such feelings.
   
   Absent Memories helped me to understand that people with disabilities are ordinary people like everyone else and are capable of doing anything if given the opportunity and support.
   
   This a very well written book and a must for all to read.



3. A facinating book that reveals insights into patterns of human relationships we all learned as children but to which we no longer attend. But what happens if those patterns are suddenly removed?
   
   What if your diplomas and certifications suddenly become meaningless; you can't remember anything you were taught? References to Watergate, Nixon, the Beatles, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in, hold no memories and no meaning. Yet, for a strange reason you can't recall, you have those albums and tapes.
   
   Worse, you're shown a stanger and told the man is your father, but you can't remember him? More mystifying is his emotional attachment to you! Sisters you can't remember seem upset with your past, lost to you, though they obviously remember. And you can't even miss growing up with your father or sisters just like you can't miss the guy or girl you didn't marry at school; because you have no memories of something that didn't happen. How do you grieve over something you can't recall?
   
   For this author, Ms. Propst, all of the above is not only true, but honestly discussed. The author shares her questions at each phase of her sometimes difficult re-education. After all, at 47, she was as inclined to believe there was a "free lunch" as not. She soon found plenty of unscrupulous people willing to teach her.
   
   The writing is tight, the prose short but sprinkled with the occasional verbal garnish. "Crises will march into our lives like Huns bent on destruction," is but one example. The read is shorter than you might think at 120 pages, but very intense as you almost constantly view her world from behind her "new" eyes.
   
   In fact, this story reminded me of the Jason Bourne movies - suddenly you wake up and can't remember who you were. And Ms. Propst found adult reality and re-education almost as fast, difficult and sometimes cruel as the CIA trying to reel in a rogue agent. Inspiring, insightful and ultimately optimistic, this book deserves a home in most libraries.
   
   Brad R. Leach



4. I enjoyed readiang Absent Memories. I am always amazed when I learn about a unique obstacle someone has had to face. Beki's story is a moving testament as to how such obstacles can be overcome. It makes one look at one's own life obstacles and how they can be dealt with in a more positive way. Absent Memories is a good reminder that persistence and faith in oneself can overcome most any difficulty.



5. Absent Memories
   
   What would it be like to wake up one morning and discover that the door into the memories of your past was closed to you...not just closed, but locked? It is hard to imagine such a thing.
   
   "Absent Memories" is a profile in courage. It is the chronicle of one woman's effort through tenacity and force of will to "just get on with it" when there was no foundation of experience to build on.
   
   It is a march done in fear and trembling; but done with humor and joy at each new find. There in lies a tale with lessons that all of us can learn.

5 comments about Needles: A Memoir Of Growing Up With Diabetes.

1. Reviews of this book - particularly from sufferers of diabetes - tend to be favourable. However, for me, this book was unreadable.
   
   Her style is that of a diary, with sentences comprised of just a few words. You encounter a period/full stop on nearly every line. There is hardly a chance to get going with this book.
   
   I skipped chapters hoping that the style would settle down. It does not and I gave up reading this book depositing it in the trash bin. I very much doubt I could sell it on ebay for anything apart from the cost of postage.
   
   Perhaps the content may be of interest to diabetics, but otherwise it's a depressing mournful series of short sentences.



2. This book was a great book!! It may not be the most hopeful book, but it is the most true. Being a diabetic, I could relate to many of the things she said. I constantly found myself thinking "Oh my gosh!!! THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME SO MANY TIMES!" or "THATS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL!!!" Some reviews have stated that she was very pessimistic when it comes to the disease, I don't think so. Diabetes made a major impact on her life I am sure that some good things did come from it, but it is a disease and who honestly really wants to praise a disease? She was very hard on the medical industry, but I think that was fair. Even when I was in the hospitle in 2003, the nurses still did things that were very ignorant. She also didn't just lash out at them for no reason, she always validates her reasons for being so firm and even combative with them. I think the book was very inspirational. I've never had a book stir so much emotion in me!



3. The book was good, no doubt. The writing was compelling, but as I sit back having just finished the book, I don't really understand how it made me feel.
   
   I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost a year ago now, and have learned a lot about dealing with the disease since then.
   
   This books scares me in a way because of the pessimism Andie and Denise seem to have toward the disease in the book.
   
   But I must remind myself, this was a different time. The past 25 years or so have improved things tramatically. They had hard-to-work with insulins they took two shots of a day. I have a pump the delivers precise doses tailored to my needs.
   
   Two things I found difficult with the book, besides the heavy subject material, was how hard it was to follow the time frame- dates are rarely mentioned, but it pulls together at the end. Also, toward the second half of the book it deals a lot with complications, but mentions little about what she is doing to control the disease at that point.
   
   All in all, a good read, but if you have diabetes, don't be discouraged by it.



4. I have a 12 yr. old child with diabetes and had been looking for information to do a research project on; diabetes seemed to be what I was heading toward when I accidently came across this book. Looking at someone's point of view who has dealt with type 1 diabetes for most of her life and how she handled her care, monitoring of blood sugars, medical personnel, emotions, and relationships has put a whole new look on how I should or shouldn't teach and help my own child with this disease. The author made me understand completely what she had dealt with and how, making living with diabetes more understandable.



5. In all, Needles was a good memoir of living life with Type 1 diabetes. If you're looking for a happy, positive story about living with a chronic condition, this probably isn't for you, but the other 99% of books on diabetes are usually full of advice (though not necessarily practical) on that subject. What this book does, however, is shows one person's real experience with living with diabetes, which isn't always as great as the medical professionals would have everyone believe. Andie Dominick is a good author and helps provide a perspective that is noticably absent from the field of publishing on diabetes.

2 comments about Will the Real John Callahan Please Stand Up?: A Quasi Memoir.

1. I don't know about you. But I get sick and tired of asking how someone is - and getting a tale of woe. Perhaps I am a bit hard on them. But frankly, having lived amid the so-called differently-abled for about 20 years...it is so remarkable that they are the least likely to complain; love John Callahan's books; laugh at themselves; and give me (a so-called "normal") the courage to go on. Thanks John! But could you please write some more books? We all really need them!!!



2. Humor beyond compare. This book belongs in every nursing home, living resources center, self-help library -- not to mention on the nightstand of anyone who's ailing and needs a good laugh. A prolific cartoonist, all of Callahan's books are excellent, and none of the cartoons repeat in any of his several volumes. The vision of John Callahan is monumental. Don't miss the laughter; it will make you well.

5 comments about Light in my Darkness, 2nd Edition.

1. I received the book in no time at all. It was in great condition. I was completely satisfied.



2. Helen Keller was born June 27,1980 in Tuscumbia Alabama. Her father was an officer for the Confederate army and her mother was a wife. Keller wasn't born deaf and blind that started once she got older. She was about 14 months olds when she started the Perkins School for the Blind.As she grew older she moved to New York to attend Wright Humason School for the deaf. She went to Radcliff college in 1900 and graduated four years later. She died June 1, 1958 in Eastern Conneticut.
   Raven C



3. I have always been very impressed with the life of Helen Keller. The difficulties she overcame in life were phenomenal. This book, however, was not interesting to me in the least. I am sad to hear about how she moved away from her traditional Christian background and followed the false teachings of Swedenborg. The book is more about Swedenborg than it is about Helen. It is a strong promotion of Swedenborg's New Church. She claims that he had a special ability from God to find the truth in scripture. The problem is, he like all other cult founders, only takes portions of scripture and uses them out of context. He claimed to have special revelations that no one else ever did. Beware of anyone who makes such claims. According to the book, Helen was pretty silent on her beliefs for the last thirty eight years of her life. I hope she was silent out of her realization that Swedenborg is not master of the truth, but Jesus is the truth instead. I do not recommend you use your time reading this book. It can be spent much more wisely.



4. This book was not only touching because of Helen Keller's fascinating story, but also an uplifting reassurance that life is worth living. Her ideas, those from and about Emanuel Swedenborg, strike me as poingantly true. Helen Keller's unique perspective on the world adds an amazing depth and reality to this work. I absolutly reccomend it for anyone and everyone.



5. I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me look again at what I believe and see it more clearly. This is a great introduction to the ideas of Emanual Swedenborg and the New Church.

5 comments about Genie: An Abused Child's Flight from Silence.

1. This book is moreso about the scientific aspects of this case, as opposed to the story of the child.



2. This is not only a scientific tragedy, but a human one as well. It's not easy to read about Genie's unimaginable childhood torture, nor her early progress being shunted by being shuffled from abusive foster home to foster home.
   
   This year, I believe next month (April), Genie turns 50. Now that her mother has died, hopefully some of the people who worked and cared so much for her (Susan Curtiss, the Riglers et al.) will finally be able to make contact again. Somehow perhaps, in middle age, Genie can finally find some peace and happiness.



3. I read this book in a day and a half. It was an unusual way to approach a book about scientific research, because it really reads like a novel. I am fascinated with this story, and I would reccommend anyone interested read it.



4. What do you do when you find a girl as abused and isolated as Genie? When a girl has been locked away in solitude for so terrifyingly long - the only life she'd known since birth? When she is physically disabled as a result of her abuse? When she is disturbed beyond comprehension?......Why, make her the subject of linguistic research of course.
   
   I'm a linguist (specialising in children's language and language acquisition) and I've been haunted by Genie since I studied her myself from film footage, Curtis' dissertation, other books, and now Rymer`s book. I will never get over seeing Genie on film. Till the day I die. She was as unfamiliar to human life as an extra terrestrial, a beautiful ghost, `there' but not really `there`.
   
   I felt some strong emotions - I wanted to (and still do) fly to America and look after Genie myself. I wanted to take her away from the research, the tests. I was angry with Curtis for even making research a part of Genie's life - sure Lenneberg, Chomsky and Piaget's theories need exploring, but in a case as extreme as this, who really gives a **** about linguistics? I was angry with Jean Butler for putting her own interests ahead of Genie's and I was furious that Genie had been abused in the first place. As with many people at the time and since, I have been massively affected by her story, and I wasn't even born when she was rescued.
   
   In my `struggle' to deal with my emotions on the subject of Genie, I thought Rymer's book might help me, teach me more about her, give me more detail on her since the 70s, more about her and those around her as PEOPLE.......and help me to grieve.
   
   Sadly, as some linguists did back in the 70s, Rymer doesn't distinguish between Genie's life and linguistic study. You get 4 or 5 chapters on theories and studies which make me sick to the stomach. I'll read those elsewhere, but isn't this supposed to be Genie's story? Isn't that why it's called `Genie' - I don't need chapters on `Victor' from 1800.
   
   You can get most of this information from other sources anyway - there was little revelation in Rymers book for me. There is just so much missing. I have read it twice now and I still have a thousand questions.
   
   And Rymer's experiences are almost as second-hand as mine.
   
   This is a page-turner, but Genie's story is.....



5. Although this is one of the saddest books I've ever read, it's also one of the finest. Genie comes alive as an individual despite the fact that she has no language; the author portrays a unique spirit and yet does a brilliant job of demonstrating how captive that spirit is without expression. The scientific theories at work are well-described, intelligent and thorough without being difficult for the lay reader.

2 comments about The Sound Of A Miracle.

1. 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!



2. 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.

5 comments about Outside the Lines: of love, life, and cancer.

1. Ms. Mattern is a true hero. Her story has given me a new perspective on living. In the face of death, she saw life. I can only pray that I would possess half the courage she had while fighting cancer if ever I find myself in a similar situation. Her book will leave you with a whirlwind of emotions; I laughed and cried. The book is a beautiful composition of an amazing woman's will to live. Her family and friends were her backbone, never letting her fall. I highly recommend this book; it's a must-read for all.



2. This is an inspiring book about a person's recognition, struggle and successful battle with a catastrophic illness. How does she reach down and find the strength to fight this cancer? How does she use all of her resourses and strengths and rely on friends and family for help? It's a must read since we will all have someone in our life...if not ourselves...who will deal with this.
   This book is so real, so informative, at times lightened with humor but always a powerful story.



3. Each page of her book uncovers another layer of this beautiful lady's soul. You cannot help but to be drawn into her precious life and experiences. During your reading of this book, you too will experience a spiritual metamorphosis. Read it. Experience it. Find healing.



4. This book is a testimony of a woman standing in the face of insurmountable odds and creating a recovery plan that goes beyond the traditional western model. It is a spiritual journey. The author used all of her stored up business skills to make her treatment and recovery a team effort. Loved it!!!



5. The writing is first class. This story is a riveting chronology of a compelling life. It is a must read for everyone facing great challenges in their life, for all those who love someone facing great challenges and for everyone else because we are all vulnerable. The open disclosure and emotional honesty is heartwarming. This book provides paths to success for others - it changed my view and approach to cancer and enriched my view of love. I would rate this book more than five stars if given the choice.

5 comments about Truly Blessed.

1. This book is truly a blessing! Pendergrass gives the story of his life straight to you, no chaser. Not only did his bio clear up a lot of misconceptions (I always knew the brother wasn't gay!), but it gave much insight into what he learned growing up as the child of a single parent in Philly (what a blessing his mother was!); his struggles to gain respect as an artist; his love for his children and determination to give them what he didn't receive from his own father; and his phemonenal wife Karen (special woman indeed!).
   
   I especially appreciated his sharing his deeper feelings about the day-to-day struggle of being a paraplegic. I'm glad that he told about the times when he didn't feel like being 'brave' and 'noble' about his situation, the times when he felt depressed and even suicidal. He really broke it down about having to meticulously plan his day around his injury (and even those best-laid plans go awry!). People need to know the realities of paraplegics, not just the sugar-coated stories of moving on in spite of. It makes me so grateful to be able to get up in the morning and do the things we take for granted every day.
   
   I hope there will be a revision of this book sometime soon, for I am sure there is more to the story since its publication 10 years ago.



2. It gave me a better insight of this strong and determined man. From his home town of Philadelphia to the his ups and downs of living in one of the most richest and prestigous towns in southern California. I recommend the book to anyone who love autobiographies. (as told directly by the person and not someone else)



3. Ok lemme start that I didn't purchase it nor bought it nowhere at a bookstore or whatever. I just checked this out at a library and was pretty amazed about this story that Teddy P put out. It shows all the sides from the ups and down between the life and times of his career. I'm such a huge fan to his music and always will be. I just read a few parts of the book but didn't had time to read the rest. I may get it used off from Amazon or get it cheap at a used bookstore or so. Long story short, this is a book I must have if I wanna learn more from this man. For all you hardcore or diehard fans who are real to Teddy, must get this or else check it out at a local library. That's how I did it. Well congratulations to Teddy Pendergrass for putting out a a wonderful book and look forward for the 2nd memoir to come out. Y'know where he's heading to the new millenium now. Definitely a must.



4. ...just curious...maybe (hopefully) it's his wife's hand...what an INCREDIBLE woman she is...perhaps the most impressive person in his autobiography, aside from his mother. Just finished reading this book yesterday...after staring at the cover for a while (yeah...like it was gon MOVE or somethin'...or like he was gon actually BLINK!)...the cover alone can capture you --- especially if, like me, you are a true Teddy fan. I think I just recently evolved into one, however...it's like his music is f.g.f.o. (for grown folks only), and I just recently grew up...hey, what can I say? It took me til my thirties to really appreciate where this man is coming from.
   ...so of course I had to pick up the book...there was no me getting away from it, or it getting away from me. Admittedly, it's probably the best autobiography I've read in a while, written in straight forward language and sprinkled with humor. Some of what he shares is surprising, some of it not so surprising, but all of it is revealing, and I know it took a lot for him to share all that he did of himself, and I really appreciate that. I had just turned 13 the same month he had the car accident that left him a quadriplegic (sp?), and I remember well all the speculations and the news reports. Though I was young, I remember how much his accident really impacted me. I think in a way, reading this book, I grieved his loss all over again...(I was in such a sad mood all day yesterday...just couldn't seem to shake it)... after all, he is telling his own story here...no more speculations or rumors...just his words. I hurt that he --- or anyone --- would have to go through such a painful ordeal. As for anyone, my only hope and prayer is that he's grown through it, and has become, or is becoming, more of the person God wants him to be. I can only imagine, though, the limitations those who are physically challenged must face, and reading this book has given me a new appreciation for that, for which I'm thankful. I think there are so many things that we all take for granted day in and day out. Hopefully, we will open our eyes to see how Truly Blessed we all are, too...just as much as Teddy is.



5. ...I have been listening to Teddy Pendergrass since his days with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes (my father and I have copies of their 1975 LP "Wake Up Everybody" - he the LP, me the CD)and his earlier solo singles (among them, "Close the Door", "Only You" and "You Can't Hide from Yourself") are pure classics - just one example of the pure, raw, unadulterated soul music that was pumping out out of Gamble and Huff's PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS headquartered in Philadelphia. When I heard about his near fatal car crash in early 1982 and the fact that he had no movement from the neck down, my heart sanked - will Teddy Pendergrass ever be able to share his rare amazing gift of singing again? Sad to say, his albums since then does not capture the rawness that his prior recordings did (the lone exception, his 1997 CD "You and I", my review of which you will see in AMAZON.COM's music section). Although his music was a treat to the ears for me, like so many of his fans, I had a lot of misconceptions of Teddy Pendergrass; to wit, his playboy life, lavish lifestyle and his children bore out of wedlock. However, I had the opportunity during Labor Day weekend in September, 1999 to visit The City of Brotherly Love and picked up this book. This book dispells all of the misconceptions and, in the process, shows the tender side of Teddy Pendergrass, the man and the human being - from his humble beginnings in North Philadelphia, his earlier, struggling days with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, his devotion to his mother, his wife, Karen, and, most remarkably, his three children to the car crash and his daily struggles as a quadraplegic. To my fellow Teddy Pendergrass fans: ignore the image, pick up this book and read it from cover to cover. You will NOT be disappointed.

5 comments about My Mother's Keeper: A Daughter's Memoir Of Growing Up In The Shadow Of Schizophrenia.

1. I thought this was a very well written memoir, and I read A LOT of memoirs. It was fascinating reading about Schizophrenia I learned about that disease and reading it has brought about me getting interested in reading more about that mental illness (and other types as well)I read this book within a couple of days. It has very good character development--the results are feeling for everyone in this family and others (that are looking in on the family) :)



2. As a young woman with a mother who has paranoid schizophrenia, this book was invaluable to me. My mom was missing for 12 years, and I received this as a gift not long after finding her (about a year and a half ago). It was personally very comforting for me to read this wonderful book, and I would recommend it to anyone. Ms. Holley's close bond with her mom reminded me of the bond I had/have with mine, and the inherently conflicted feelings that result from that bond.



3. My Mother's Keeper is an excellent autobiography/biography in one of a mother and daughter and their separate and entwined lives. I am a mental health RN and have been studying about schizophrenia. This book has helped me see in places I have never been able to see into before. I now have a broader perspective of schizophrenia and how families must feel also. Ms. Holley's writing is easy to read and follow. So much so, that it is very hard to put the book down. This is definitely a must read for anyone who wants to find out more about schizophrenia.



4. This was an exceptionally well written memoir, one that must have been very difficult to write. Ms. Elgin moves gracefully along the line between her mother's story and her own, and (it appears) honestly grapples with the ups and downs of both. Thank you.



5. This book provides an accurate description of the development and chronic course of schizophrenia, one of the most debilitating illnesses of our time. The Holleys' sensitive portrayal of Mrs. Elgin's life touched me deeply. I thank them for giving us and honest depiction of this illness.