Specific Disabilities Books

At times, the book can be an uncomfortable read. Frank describes cases of women with varying degrees of disability, and their experiences of growing up and making a living in the US. Some examples are extreme indeed. Like Diana, born with no arms and legs in 1950. You could cringe at trying to imagine yourself in her situation. Yet somehow, she managed to cope.

Several others are chronicled here. Often trying to resist the expectation of wearing artificial arms and legs; by wanting to decide how they would appear in public. The book applies anthropological analysis to studying these unfortunate women.

Keep in mind that the various protheses described in the book are now somewhat outdated. Better fitting, easier to use protheses have been developed in recent years. With the promise of ongoing improvements. Ironically driven in no small part by the US military casualties in Iraq.

This book is very informative on ways to deal with parents and various family situations that students are sure to have these days. It was a required book for a grad. class I took, however I decided to keep it because I actually was glad I bought it (unlike most school books).

Read this book in 2 days. Fascinating. Answered all my questions
and gave lots of suggestions for parents dealing with an ADD child.

Concerned Mom,

Before 86-ing this book, look at your own source, which is 5 years old. Also consider that the vast majority of the psychiatric profession in Europe believes ADD is a figment of the American psychiatric community's imagination. If they're right, anyone who believes ADD is a genuine disorder is a pseudoscientist, whether they believe it can be conclusively diagnosed or not.

In addressing ADD and ADHD Dr. Phil and Frank have both maintained that a thorough attempt at a differential diagnosis MUST be made(ruling out other learning disorders, stressors in the home, other possible disorders or chemical imbalances, depression, etc.) PRIOR to reaching a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. They also insist that this must be done in CONJUNCTION with an EEG. The EEG reading alone is persuasive, but not diagnostic. If they have claimed to the contrary then they are going against everything they have maintained in their shows addressing this issue.

You may agree or disagree with them and I'm sure some qualified professionals disagree with them as well. That's not uncommon in the medical community, and it certainly doesn't make this pseudo science.

If their claim were simply that the EEG ALONE were diagnostic in the absence of a thorough examination of patient history, etc., then you're beef would be legitimate. But why the hostility? These days children are often overmedicated based solely on the reommendation of tired parents or teachers. By contrast Dr. Phil is advocating a careful thorough screening prior to reaching that diagnosis, and consideration of all available therapies, not medical therapy alone. At the same time the screening process he's advocating will no doubt help some people who haven't been diagnosed but should have been finally get the help they need. So many are written of an depressed or looking for excuses for a lifelong struggle with frustration and attention span (my wife for example), but thanks to a rigorous screening process followed by a careful neurological exam including an EEG, most of the red herrings can finally be ruled out and effective treatment can begin. This is a total middle of the road position between throwing pills out willy nilly and just telling people to get over their disorder. Who loses here? And where is the argument that the EEG IN CONJUNCTION WITH a careful differential diagnosis, detailed patient history and examination of past behavior, academic struggles, etc., can't be diagnostic of this disorder? Some may disagree, but what's new about that?

The three star rating is because I haven't finished reading the book.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for a parent lost in the sea of ADD/ADHD information. The author's conservative approach is sensible and educated. I also appreciate the subtle spiritual insight he offers which helps the reader understand some very positive aspects of ADD. This book has become my main resource while we deal with this situation.

I am an adult with ADHD inatintive type. I have struggled all my life with this condition. Howevere, I have managed to earn a BA in psychology and I am currently working on a masters degree. Because of my expierences in psychology classes I know something about scientific research and empirical evidence. This book was a major dissapointment to me because it lacks the simple scholary research to prove the claims made by Dr Lawless. I am afraid this book is nothing more then modernday snake-oil that will cause more harm then good.

This book is so full of pseudo-science that I fear it may cause a great deal of harm to children and adults with ADHD. Dr. Lawless is a psychologist and should now how to read the scientifice research on the subject found in peer reviewed journals. While, I believe that the chemeicals in the foods we eat are a major cause of illnesses, ADHD and obesity, There is little scientific evidence that add is caused by diet. However, their maybe more evidence in the future. One of his clames of red dye has been proven completly false. Another one his claims about magnet theropy are so out of the scientific mainstream that he comes of as a snakeoils salesman. Please do not buy this book. If you want reliable information by on of the Driven to Distraction books.

There are many great ideas presented in this book about dealing with your add child, BUT the chapter on meds is completely off base. Let me preface the following with MY opinion (I am not an MD or an expert) that children with ADD need a team approach in helping them deal with the condition (if you choose to call it one) and there is a place for meds for many kids, BUT it is only a piece of the puzzle. Parents, teachers, family members, Md's, and behavioral specialists are all crucial. I happen to work indirectly with many of the world thought leaders and experts on ADD (ie. Joseph Beiderman, Mass General Hospital, Boston MA/ Harvard Medical School, ... look up his credentials). First Dr. Frank Lawlis is not an MD, this means he has not been to medical school- that is not to say he isn't a great psychologist, just that he HAS NOT and DOES NOT write prescriptions for these meds and has NO first hand experience with directly managing these meds himself. In this book there are many things that are completely false regarding ADD meds. For example he states that they only work for about 50% of kids. FALSE Let me cite 3 credible sources that disputes this (notice in the book that he does not talk about HIS credible source)
1. "approx 70% of patients respond to the first stimulant agent administered with resulting improvement in their ADHD symptoms." - Practical Considerations in Stimulant Drug Selection for the ADHD Patient- Efficacy, Potency and Titration Beiderman, Today's Therapeutic Trends, 02'
2. "Improvement occurred in 65-75% of 5,899 patients randomized to stimulants." - Practice Parameter for the Use of Stimulant Medication in the Treatment of Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Feb02'
3. "At least 80% of children will respond to one of the stimulants if they are tried in a systemic way." Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of the School-Aged Child with ADHD, Published in American Acedemy of Pediatrics, Oct 01'.

All of these quotes are credible and are opinions based on evidence-based medicine from the experts. Lawlis also states that there has been little research in children and that most studies have been done on adults and rats/mice. This is Completely False! The Journal noted above, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (that was a review of "161 randomized controlled trials that have been published encompassing 5 preschool, 150 school-age, 7 Adolescent, and 9 adult studies" Where does Dr. Lawlis get his information?
The review noted above by the American Acedemy of Pediatrics, identified for analysis 2405 citations, 92 reports, and 78 different studies. This is American Acedemy of Pediatrics- They are only interested in children and adolescents! Not Rats, Mice, and Adults.
These are the most credible Medical Journals published. These are not the biased trials sponsored by big pharma. The information in these Journals is taken very seriously by Pediatricians and Child Psychiatrists, and is heavily relied upon by these professionals.

Lastly, he also states that these drugs are identical to cocaine in their affect on the brain. This is not true, they have similarities, but by NO-Means identical. Yes it is true that stimulant medications can be abused and can also be addictive, but some of the newer formulations of these meds have lessened their abuse and addictive potential by altering the speed at which the drug is released into the bloodstream thereby somewhat flattening the curve (Cocaine use produces a curve that is almost straight up-this is what gives the "high") The most common way for these drugs to be abused is by crushing them and snorting them (which allows for fast absorption and steep curve), and some of the newer meds are crush resistant and/or cannot be turned into a fine enough substance to be snorted. There has also been data published that shows a DECREASE not increase in drug abuse for patients who have taken stimulants. It is believed that kids who are treated (drug treatment and otherwise) are less likely to associate with kids who are failing academically/socially and who are more likely to be using drugs. (This is not to say that high all high achievers abstain from using OR that ALL children who are failing ARE using) It is just a point that kids who are treated are more likely to be focused on school and their responsibilities and are less likely to be involved in drug use. Kids who are failing in school academically/socially are often looked at as outcasts and are often looked down upon by peers, teachers, and family, and this can cause a child to look for an escape... sometimes drugs. Children who Do benefit from stimulant medication sometimes have more self-esteem because of their success, and certainly less scrutiny from peers, teachers etc.

Lastly, Lawlis tells a story about a man who died from long-term stimulant medication. I am not going to say that this did not happen, but I will say that stimulants have been used since the 1950's, and the medical community agrees that they are safe when managed properly. The medical community and FDA have pulled MANY medications that were deemed unsafe from the markets (many times against the will of BIG Pharma) and the stimulants would not have remained on the market for OVER 50 YEARS, if stories like this were common or the least bit likely.

I am not at all stating that stimulant meds are the answer because they are not, but they can be a small piece of the puzzle that is helping these kids with ADD. The book is full of great ideas and approaches to ADD, but he is not accurate about the stimulant medications. Parents who see value in them should not feel ashamed and or frightened by what he says because most of it is just not accurate. Good luck and I hope this was helpful.

This text has great, thorough information on various areas of special needs, and is very user-friendly. As a special education teacher, I borrowed it from another teacher, then decided I had to have a copy for myself...I have used it to refer to for information and to reference from for my graduate courses.

For a textbook, this one is enjoyable to read. It is easy to read and flows smoothly. It is also very informative.

The book has many resources, which would be the only reason I rate it two stars. The authors are too emotionally attached and are too personal. As a graduate psychology student, I would like my texts to be informative without any emotion, there are plenty of other reads for emotion.

This book is extremely informative and the information is organized well. My professor specifically picked this book because the content covered alot of the history of special education.

This text book was required for a graduate course that I took towards obtaining my special education license. It uses racist sterotypes, unfounded statements, and shows why ignorance continues to permeate American schools. Much of the information is repeated throughout the book and I find it a waste of time. I strongly suggest finding an alternative source of information.

This book is an ambush. The author uses his son's disability as a platform to rant about social ills which have been visited upon us by overbearing social conservatives and religious fanatics. Still, I felt compelled to read on, in grim fascination--which turned to alarm at Berube's egregious misrepresentation of the Catholic Church's teaching on birth control. Such a disingenuous slap compromises his credibility on almost every other subject he treats in the book.
Still, being the parent of a child with Down syndrome, I waded through the morass in hope of finding some merit. And I found it in the author's discussion of the value of inclusive education in chapter 5. But even here, the terrain was arduous, requiring considerable resolve in order to plow through his treatment of Dawkins, Darwin, Rawls, and Kant, among others.
I checked out a book titled "Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child." The book I read would be better titled "Life As I Know It: A Father, A Filibuster, and An Exceptional Ego."

I had expected this book to be a memoir about a boy with down syndrome, I thought that it was a dramatic story with lots of emotion. Instead it's simply a book discussing in great depth about biology and genetics. It discusses the reproduction process and mitosis and goes on and on on the topic of genetics. The book later goes on to talk about abortion and whether or not it should be allowed, and many other related debates. While I found the discussions about genetics and abortion to be relatively interesting, I don't understand why the book is based around it. This book is not so much a memoir as it is a biology textbook in disguise. if you want to read a biology textbook then by all means, buy this book. However, if you would like to read a touching memoir about a boy and his life with down syndrome, then try a different book, because as other reviewers have said: this book is not what it claims to be

I read this book as a pediatrician wanting to gain insight into my patients and their families. I really enjoyed the descriptions of raising their child. However, I found the philosophy and policy analysis a little too long winded and less helpful.

This book works best as memoir. Berube is very moving when he describes the first years of his son's life. I too am the father of a boy with Down's syndrome and can vouch for the clarity and truthfulness of the account. The book's many digressions into politics and philosophy could put off some readers, but most of them are well-worth reading and pondering. I only wish they hadn't interrupted the flow of the personal story. The only sidebar I really disagreed with was the one on abortion. It was too strident (Berube is pro-choice), especially coming from someone well-placed to see both sides of this issue. That said, I would recommend this book to any parent of a mentally retarded child, or, for that matter, to any citizen concerned about the place of disabled people in our society. I hope Berube writes another book ten years from now and lets us know how Jamie is doing.

Berube writes a compelling book about his struggles to remain true to the parent/child relationship with his son who is diagnosed with Down's syndrome. Berube's book does a nice job of showing a different side of Downs syndrome - one where a child is a child, not someone (thing) to be feared, locked away or pitied. He writes clearly about the pressures to medicalize his son (meaning talk about him in the ways doctors would) since the medical world is such a part of their history with him. He tells of how he and his wife work to maintain decisions that are respectful of the child they are raising. Berube does a great job of explaining medical processes while also telling where they fall short, how they apply differently to different people and how he can continue to see others' points of view and wish more people could see his. Berube brings up big issues like abortion and (public vs private) health care to name a few. He relates his personal feelings to larger social conditions like how our society treats people with disabilities (which is not very well). This is a must read for teachers, doctors, nurses, and infact everyone, since we, as a society, need to work on seeing disabled people as people.

I read this book a few years a go and loved it. I think it was an honest book. I know it is because I have SMA like the author so I am a good judge of the subject. This book is not "Preachy" or filled with religious meaning like some disabled books. Nor does it make the disabled look needy or helpless. It's just about her life. It's not supposed to go in to great detail of specific disability issues...that's what essays and textbooks are for. Even so, I do think it does give the average "walkie-talkie" insight of disabled culture. Everything from care, school, career and romance. The writing is in everyday language and shows her humor in dealing with her struggles. The main flaw is the poor edit job. I didn't find it too distracting (if you can handle reading a personal journal you should be OK with this book) and the book is a quick read. There is a great need for books on adults with born with disabilities and disabled women. I'm glad this book made it!

As a disabled woman, I really loved this book, and could identify with many aspects of Connie's life. An educating book to those who are not disabled.

I finished this book last night, and I was frankly infuriated by some of the earlier reviews posted about this book. This is probably the most illuminating book about the day to day existence of an extremely disabled person; which holds back nothing, that has ever been written. Panzarino, who, despite her disability was a powerful force for chance in the way the disabled are treated in society, passed away on the 4th of July of this year. Her passing only makes this book more poignant. Panzarino's style is eloquent and engaging; her story both heartbreaking and inspirational. This book is a MUST read for anyone interested in reading fascinating biographies of women who have truly helped to change the world, as well as a great tool for understanding what those with disabilities go through in a world that wasn't designed with them in mind. This book changed my view of the world profoundly. I am planning on buying it for all my friends as Xmas gifts--and hope that Connie's incredible courage wil inspire them as much as it did me.

I could barely finish this unorganized story told in plain language. The topics covered are important. Yet, the writing and selfish spin of the book left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Ms. Panzarino presents an accurate and passionate account of an absolutely remarkable life. She survived the disability that should have killed her as a child, the terrible pressures of her home, where she and her mother were trapped in a dance with no help for either. She fought her family and the "abled" world for her independence and THRIVED as a whole womin in a society which assigns a half-life to the disabled adult. I am new to the disabled community, having suffered a major stroke at the age of 49 and two small ones since. They have left me nearly speechless but I cannot even imagine the world Ms. Panzrino has had to live in. I can only admire this brave womin's strength, fortitude, intelligence and candor. The reviewer who did not see the life story and daily life of a disabled person did NOT read the same book I read!! This is and excellent read by an enlightened individual! My only disappointment is that there has not been a follow-up book since this wonderful tome was written!

This book has lots of great examples of dialogs to have with your child to help them develope language at every stage of development. Also there are suggested toys and tips on how to use them. However, the exact toys are hard to find to purchase for yourself. But, you can always find something similar. With each age group, there is also a list of sugggested books--which I really like. This book has taught me a lot.

bought this book for a class, havent opened it since, but i keep it as a reference

As a soon-to-be grandmother, I find myself looking at everything through the eyes of a new mother. Though I'm not sure that this book would be especially useful for teachers, I DO think it is an excellent resource for new parents on appropriate developmental stages. The charts for Language, Physical and Cognative milestones are worth the price of the book! Much more complete and practical than any baby book that I've seen, and a great tool if there are some developmental delays. I plan to buy a copy for each of my four daughters when they start their family!

The book is merely a list of toys, generally commercially available, that might stimulate or help a child communicate. My biggest complaint is with the printing. I wondered why young children (3 - 18 months) had so few notations, and discovered why yesterday... My copy jumps from page 50 to page 83. The pages didn't fall out of the binding - they were not included when the book was bound. So check yours when you buy. I am not sure if this a problem unique to me or not. However, I called the publisher and they sent me a replacement immediately and free. I did not have to hassle with sending back the defective one. Excellent customer service!

This book has an over-reaching title and at best is a catalog that describes toys. Placing the words "special needs" in the title implies that it would provide specific pointers for helping children with all sorts and degrees of disabilities like CP, visual impairments, hearing impairments, deafblindness, mental retardation, etc. and might at least have a section on augmentative communications. It offers VERY LITTLE on these topics. As for the dialogues, I found them to be of poor quality and contrary to other stuff I have read. Some of the dialogues for a child who hasn't begun to talk have tons of words and lots of adjectives yet later the same book suggests that teaching the concepts of 'up' and 'down' in the same play session might be too confusing for the child. I don't know what the author's Ph.D. is in but I hope it isn't in speech and language pathology.

Part One covers the long road to diagnosis with Part II covering treatment and includes excerpts from the parent therapy log. There are also a few black and white photos in some of the chapters. The photos did not really have any affect on me and could have been left out. Also quite bothersome to this reader was the habit of smoking cigarettes that Julie had, plus the fact that never was this discussed on how detrimental it could be to her children.

I would advise future readers to read the foreword after the book was been finished. I found it confusing reading about the test scores and mention of whether Drew was actually autistic or not better digested after learning the family dynamics beforehand. It is hard to comprehend on one page the dedication to several people who volunteered in the fight for Drew's life and then learning he has been cured and no longer viewed as being on the spectrum. I find that hard to believe as a parent and really did not focus on that aspect.

Unfortunately Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph did not delve too far into the therapy, but centered more on the feelings of the mother through out the process of raising her kids and dealing with the stigma associated at the time known as Refrigerator Mothers. She left her husband who was not very involved with the kids and did not believe Drew was different from other kids. She did move to another State and the book glossed over much of their lives.

The only parts I could relate to was doing most of the work herself by seeing professionals and caring for the daily lives of her children and the hassle of driving on freeways with a child that might open a door or get out of their seat. I did feel for Julie when they first started working at the autism clinic at UCLA with her viewing from the two-way mirror and cringing when her son would cry and they would continue at the same pace.

Dr. Lovaas comes across as a caring and understanding professional and one of the first Julie came in contact when learning about autism. I did not agree with the requirements they maintained for being in the program. Julie was not allowed to mention that Drew had a disability when she enrolled him in school. I am not sure I would have done the same thing, but she maintained that secrecy and Drew supposedly turned out to be a normal child. The book really does a good job of sharing the struggles on a daily basis in the early years while raising three small kids and the sacrifices the siblings had to endure. In order to enroll Drew in the autism program Julie was informed her other son who was younger would have to be in a daycare program so she could concentrate fully on Drew.

I would have liked to read more about the progress Drew made with the therapy. It just seemed to focus much on the autism in the beginning sharing the habits of the child that clearly indicated he was autistic and then after an unspecified amount of therapy he no longer had the diagnosis. Apparently I missed something in the book to have it happen so quickly. I was not happy when I read how to keep Drew focused on therapy Julie would not be able to feed him in the morning and the appointment was set closer to the afternoon. The therapy seemed very rigid and not flexible with more focus on that than the child, but they triumphed in the end so what do I know.

I found this book to be uplifting and encouraging.

Poor English, poor editing,and poor spelling lead you through this unrealistic tale of how a mother in just a few miraculous weeks 'cures' her 31/2 year old son of autism over 20 years ago. For a similar but more realistic book and higher quality story and text I strongly suggest you read Catherine Maurice's 'LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE'. I also suggest Donna Williams' books: 'NOBODY, NOWHERE' and 'SOMEBODY,SOMEWHERE' for a true inside look at Ms. Williams' life with autism, and her book 'AUTISM: AN INSIDE-OUT APPROACH',is an excellent book to examine just how complicated autism is, and the maizes and puzzles involved in sorting out the right kind of help for each individual diagnosed with autism.

Small children are the joys of our lives. They sing, dance, whine, cry, play, pretend and even copy what they see. So what if your child doesn't respond to your call or what if the child seems lost in its own world, then what?

In this 180-page story you'll find out the ways you can deal with autism and autistic children. You'll be given an excellent insight into what you can do and where to find help. The book should be a great help to those who have autistic children and have trouble finding answers.

The book shows how effective the Lovass Method is; I will not begin to claim I understand the method. I have read arguments on both sides, so I will leave the decision up to those who are facing the issue. I can say the authors believe it works and they present a persuasive argument.

Finally I think that this book shows you that there is help out for parents, from therapy groups to doctors. Branden Publishing can take great pride in this book, as like so many others, it is excellent reading.

This book started out reading like poetry--but as I read I got lost in the muddle that was the life of the author. I really thought this book would be good--but I couldn't bring myself to finish it. As I read further I remember that I had begun this book some time ago and didn't finish it then either. BAH!

Fries, Kenny, "Body, Remember: A Memoir", University of Wisconsin Press, 1997, 2003.

A Moving Memoir

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Kenny Fries in "Body, Remember" has written a memoir that moves one to tears As we embark on a journey from sympathy to admiration, we read a book without a false note in it. When Fries wrote his memoir he was 36 years old and a noted poet, an essayist, and a critic. He writes what it is like to be disabled--he was born with two malformed legs as a result of a congenital birth defect and he endured many operations to correct. There is no "pity me" in his memoir--he uses honesty and even allows those he is or has been at odds with to maintain their dignity. With extreme patience Fries looks back on his life and explores family documents, medical records and memory (his own and his parents') to try to understand how he got to be where he is. He discovers that the details of his early life were unspoken but he was able to map out his sexual identity and sexual desire. As he comes to terms with himself, he also writes about what it is like to be different.
Fries is a man very concerned with identity.
Being gay and Jewish help him form a self image and as a person with a defect, he uses his memoir to help discover who he is. It is his disability that rules his life and it cannot be ignored as the most important facet of his life--in fact, it claims most of his attention. He has a complex self image, especially regarding his gayness by which his disability is not a part. He explores where he stands in terms of his religion concerning his homosexuality. These three personas--disabled, gay, and Jewish are the issues that concern him most and he reaches no conclusion--at least none that I could see. He seems to be able to balance the three. This lack of perspective is the only fault I can find with otherwise a beautifully written memoir.
The beauty of the writing is the way that Fries interweaves memories and fragments from his life. It is almost hard to read when he writes of his brother who abused him both sexually and physically. Likewise his meetings with men in Israel and his ill-fated relationships with two other men are sad and heart-rending. He finally, after the publication of his poetry and years of psychotherapy, manages to achieve happiness with another man, Kevin, with whom he is still partnered.
Fries wars scars on his body and on his mind and his self awareness of his physical deformity is examined in great detail. The book is deeply personal and is not a history but a memoir. He takes us on a journey from the shallow end of life where he could barely use his own legs to where he is able to achieve a rich and happy life.
As I read, I thought how lucky I was that I only had to endure two of Fries problems--being Jewish and being gay. I can't imagine how much a physical disability can even make life that much harder.

Not a false note in this book. Takes the reader on a journey from sympathy to admiration. Helped me face some lesser challenges.

Kenny Fries says what he needs to without being dramatic and there is no subtle "pity me" to his memoir. He is honest without being brutal and allows those with whom he retains differences to maintain their dignity. He helped me to view my own disability as an opportunity and for this I am grateful.

This book is written from the heart, but it is very poorly written. It may be helpful for families and people working with children who have spina bifida.

This is one of the best, and only book, I know of, which gives a positive outcome to a child born with a serious birth defect. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I have a child with spina bifida so I can certainly comiserate with the plight of Karen Snyder Travis and her family. However, what I cannot do is tolerate the unbelievably poor grammar used in this book. Many misspelled words are peppered throughout this quick read -- I was too distracted by all of these errors to focus on the story.

And, about the story -- it is entirely too "matter of fact." Ms. Travis tells us what happens to Christal as if she were relaying information to a physician -- it's not storytelling. Storytelling is an art, a true talent that not many people posess. Unfortunately, Ms. Travis was not blessed with it.

As eager as I am to get my hands on the too few books out there about families living with spina bifida, this is the worst one of I've had the misfortune of reading. I wish I hadn't even bothered.

Bottom line: don't waste your time.

I must admit I know nothing about Spina Bifida and the affect it has on someone and the family. I will also admit that I haven't spent any real time reading or learning about it either. This book is a keen insight into the world of this malady and the ways in which people handle the event.

Right from the beginning of the book you are taken to Christal's beginnings and with every page you read you are treated to a story about more than just coping, you are shown true courage.

The book works through each aspect of the life of one person and how it affects those around her. The author weaves an interesting story-line to give you are real sense of what life is like.

Overall a very well written book and real pleasure reading.