Ian Brown (1) (1954–)

An honest, moving, well-written memoir about raising a child with a rare and tragic syndrome (I hate using words like tragic, but when a symptom of a disorder is unstoppable self-harm it is difficult to avoid.) Having and loving a disabled child comes with many gifts, and many many sacrifices. Brown does a wonderful job of conveying all of that. For me it was perhaps too detailed with regard to accessing services and needed items such as bearing the outrageous costs of simple things like a lifetime of diapers and formula (Brown's son could not swallow or talk or be toilet trained) to hold my interest. All that said, when I finished I immediately gave it to a friend with an adult child severe autism and intellectual disabilities who had had many of the same struggles getting services and laying out a plan for her daughter for after she and her daughter's father are gone. I know it will be a meaningful read for her.… (mer)

When I read the preview for this book, I thought I would like it. I am slightly older then the author and was curious about his experiences and perspectives given that we are both in our 60s. To be honest, the book was rather depressing to me. I did not need to know that our best days are behind us, women no longer find us attractive and that friends and people we know in our age group die or suffer from illness or other injuries. We also begin to lose our memory and our judgment is not as sharp as it used to be. This book may be an interesting read for those who are in their late 40s and 50s as they will be able to see what their imminent future holds.

I can't say that I learned anything new from reading this book – – maybe that was not the author's intention. It certainly wasn't a book that uplifted my spirits – – that's for sure.… (mer)