by Martha Beck
My SynopsisMemoir of a Harvard educated mother who discovers she is pregnant with a Down syndrome child.
My Thoughts
This memoir was just okay. I loved the actual story and how she started out with meeting her husband (also a Harvard student at the time) and their life before her pregnancy with Adam (her 1st child, Katie, was healthy). I also liked how she alternated between past (pregnant with Adam) and present (telling stories of Adam as a child). But I was offended by how many times she used the words retarded, deformed, disfigured, mongoloid, abnormal, etc., throughout the entire book. Just because you're speaking of your own child, does it give you the right to use those terms? It really bothered me.
Also, although I know the author was simply being honest about learning her son had Down syndrome, at one point contemplating whether to have an abortion, she seemed robotic and cold even when her son was born, and that bothered me. I expected it to be more a story about what a blessing he turned out to be and how he had a positive effect on her life, but I ended up not really liking her.
Do I Recommend?
Nah.
Source: Bought
My Rating
3/5
6 comments:
She's written another memoir where she alleged that her father sexually abused her as a child and that one sent the Mormon community into a bit of a tizzy as he was/is a well respected elder. I don't think she's a particularly happy person based on her books, which is sad.
Kristen, I didn't know that. Wow. Guess that explains her cold heartedness. Interesting. Thanks for the tidbit! I love my blog friends :)
Well, after reading Kristen's comments that does shed some light on to her being robotic and cold. She doesn't sound like a very easy person to like at all, and I really don't care for the words that she chose to describe her child at all!
Oh thats too bad - sounds like a book that had potential. I hate it when that happens. :)
Hmmmmm...that sounds kind of odd. I too would expect that she would have "come around" to love her child or accept him. I don't know if I would have written a book about the experience if I didn't feel that way, you know?
Jenners: That is so true. But I don't know if she realizes how she comes across in the book.
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