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kitkat2500's review against another edition
4.0
This is a memoir by Martha Beck about her pregnancy with her Down's Syndrome child Adam. It certainly is the most excruciatingly difficult physical pregnancy I've ever read about, due to a specific condition that she suffers from. But beyond the physical illness, she suffers tremendous emotional and psychological pain as she grapples with the future reality of living with a disabled child (if he even makes it through the birthing process).
These many layers of suffering are periodically relieved by what she refers to as magical or paranormal events/interventions. Call them what you want, whether it's magic, angels , the hand of God, spirituality, religion...whatever you call it, she seems to experience an abundance of "unusual" events since Adam's conception. She credits these to the magic that Adam has brought into her life. But her message is more universal: that we can all open ourselves to life's many blessings, that this magic is all around us, that Love is the answer, no matter what the question is.
I tend to agree!
These many layers of suffering are periodically relieved by what she refers to as magical or paranormal events/interventions. Call them what you want, whether it's magic, angels , the hand of God, spirituality, religion...whatever you call it, she seems to experience an abundance of "unusual" events since Adam's conception. She credits these to the magic that Adam has brought into her life. But her message is more universal: that we can all open ourselves to life's many blessings, that this magic is all around us, that Love is the answer, no matter what the question is.
I tend to agree!
mychaelann's review against another edition
2.0
It's hard to say how I would feel about the book if I read it with no prior knowledge of the author's backstory. But I did know and I'm sure it gave me a bias. My biggest complaint however was that I didn't find her memoir very believable. It read more like a novel to me with loads of exaggeration and it felt crafted, not like a true telling. Plus, her tone while witty, was too snarky for me.
nutellathehun's review against another edition
1.0
Easily the worst book I have ever read. A disastrous culmination of platitude-enriched diary-writing, delusional opinions on medicine and life, and an altogether entitled, disconnected perspective on how to life live. If I had not been forced to read it, I would not have continued past the first five pages - and I sincerely hoped it would get better, but it did not. I'm not sure if I'm more annoyed that this woman hasn't been screened for a mental illness or that she prescribes fatally dangerous medical advice, the worst of which was praying to non-existent angels to cure her placenta previa during severe hemorrhage, and then saying how it worked.
bogfinchgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book. Martha Beck provided humor, caring, and honesty in telling her story in conceiving and loving her down-syndrome child.
bigwhitefarmhouse's review against another edition
3.0
A little New Agey, but I really enjoyed seeing life through her son's eyes and how that changed her as a person. Lots to ponder.
emp1234's review against another edition
3.0
This book felt very brave and authentic. I have little to no experience with children, but this book still touched me.
akstoft's review against another edition
Couldn’t tolerate author’s use of the R word
Also, it skipped all over chronologically. Not chapter by chapter, but within a chapter. One paragraph, she’s pregnant with Adam and another he’s nine years old.
Also, it skipped all over chronologically. Not chapter by chapter, but within a chapter. One paragraph, she’s pregnant with Adam and another he’s nine years old.
Content Warnings
Repeated use of the R word
mrs_george's review against another edition
3.0
A rather puzzling read. I enjoyed reading about her struggles and then acceptance of her son's diagnosis. I found the parts where she talked of the somewhat paranormal experiences as confusing. I want to believe but yet I don't fully believe. I don't really know, like I said it was a puzzling read. I really dislike the use of the word "retarded" throughout the book. I feel like its use was completely unnecessary. I wondered if the author used it in the way some African-Americans use the "n" word. Like if they say it themselves it makes it less of a derogatory word. Whatever the reasons for the author using it, I still found it completely uncomfortable.
elementarybookworm's review against another edition
I kept trying to enjoy this, but it always felt more like homework to read it.