About the
Book
This is a book written by the mother of an autistic son, a mother who has lived with her son for more than two decades. The ultimate reality of living with an autistic on a day-to-day basis is brought forth in a diary form. It is a one-year snapshot of the last twenty-five years of joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures.
This book is not a treatise on autism. It deals with the unpredictability of autism and how her family and she have tried to cope with it. Coping with autism is coping with unpredictability, as is surely true also of other life-altering illnesses.
Here, one witnesses the poignant roller coaster of emotions from hope to dismay, joy to sorrow, anger to tranquility, disbelief to belief, boredom to creativity, sanity to insanity. No one day is the same. Every day is fight or flight for survival. This is what every family teetering on survival with a serious illness, whether it be mental, physical, or emotional is dealing with.
Sharing as a healing force does wonders for the aching soul. We all have seen the therapeutic effects of AA and other similar groups. The aim of this book is to share the unique, incredible experiences in her life with other families in difficult, heart-wrenching situations. Reading this book, they will find solace in knowing that they are not alone.
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Hardcover
Book Price: $25.00 US
244 pp
ISBN: 0-9706541-0-3 |
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About the
Author
Jalaja Narayanan is the author of more than fifty lyrics and poems. She plays the South Indian Sitar, called Veena. She lives with her husband in North Andover, Massachusetts, with her autistic son, Krishna. She also has a daughter, Malini, who is doing a neurosurgical residency. Krishna was her career for more than two decades, and this book, her first, is about him.
Reviews
"Finally, an aspect of the book that touched me deeply, even though it is hardly discussed explicitly, in the obvious support and devotion between Krishna's parents...I have seen many marriages dissolve under the stress, disappointment, or disagreements that can result from having a child with a disability... the partners' trust and love for each other seems strengthened by adversity."
- Dr. Deborah Fein,
Professor of Psychology,
University of Connecticut
"This diary indeed represents a "pair of shoes" for us to travel across those "thorny fields." In its structure the book contains many themes and dilemmas that families will find familiar. The reader will also derive much pleasure in the book's metaphor and poetry..."
- Dr.K.M. Munir, M.D., D. Sc.
Director of Psychiatry,
Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital
"the primary message of this book is the triumph of human spirit when faced with adversity...This is a book that should be required reading not only for all families involved in the care of a child with special needs, but for health care professionals, educators and those establishing public policies which will substantially impact on the lives and future of all individuals with handicapping conditions.."
- Dr. Margaret Bauman, M.D.; Pediatric Neurologist; Director,
LADDERS; Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts General Hospital
"There are many, many books written by parents of autistic children. None are like this...Be prepared for excursions into literature, poetry, history, science, current affairs and a vast array of other topics that Jalaja guides us into and through her world...One does not have to be addicted to autism to enjoy and benefit from this opportunity to share Jalaja's thoughts and experiences."
- Dr. Bernard Rimland, Director,
Autism Research Institute
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