The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards
I thought I had to read this book for a project. Turns out I didn’t, but more than one person said it was really good. And it was at some levels. The premise is that when a physician/father discovered that one of his new-born twins has Downs Syndrome, he gives her away and tells his wife that she died. His goal is to prevent the sadness and pain of having a disabled child in the family. It is a spur of the moment decision, and by the time he regrets it he can’t take it back. The rest of his life, and his wife’s and his son’s are deeply marred by the missing daughter/sister and the lie he never confesses. Meanwhile, the Downs baby grows up healthy, happy and loved. Edwards explores family dynamics from an interesting perspective. It looks at disability from several angles, including its impact on a family, a parent, a brother and the adoptive parents. Plenty of food for thought and worth the read.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Crashing Through, a Book Review
Crashing Through: A true Story of Risk, Adventure and the Man who Dared to See
By Robert Kurson
Just released, this is the story of Mike May, a blind, California-based entrepreneur. Mike was blinded at the age of 3 by a chemical accident. He learned in his forties that his sight could be restored with a new procedure. This is his story, and it is a fascinating and articulate look at the issues of sight restoration, the fears, the risks, the triumph, and the ultimate reconciliation with reality. Mike shares candidly thoughts and fears that all blind people, including me, must feel at one time or another. He becomes one of perhaps 20 people in the last several hundred years who were blind as children and had vision restored as adults. The majority of these people, surprisingly perhaps, did not find their new vision to be a panacea. Rather, they often became profoundly depressed. Mike’s story is of coping, and learning to put his vision, not perfect as it turns out, in a useful place in his life. I can see this book wrapped and ribboned under the Christmas tree this year.
By Robert Kurson
Just released, this is the story of Mike May, a blind, California-based entrepreneur. Mike was blinded at the age of 3 by a chemical accident. He learned in his forties that his sight could be restored with a new procedure. This is his story, and it is a fascinating and articulate look at the issues of sight restoration, the fears, the risks, the triumph, and the ultimate reconciliation with reality. Mike shares candidly thoughts and fears that all blind people, including me, must feel at one time or another. He becomes one of perhaps 20 people in the last several hundred years who were blind as children and had vision restored as adults. The majority of these people, surprisingly perhaps, did not find their new vision to be a panacea. Rather, they often became profoundly depressed. Mike’s story is of coping, and learning to put his vision, not perfect as it turns out, in a useful place in his life. I can see this book wrapped and ribboned under the Christmas tree this year.
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