Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs
The first collection of literary writing on raising a child with special needs, Love You to Pieces features caregivers' perspectives at every stage in the lives of children with mental or physical difficulties, from premature birth to middle age. In this rich blend of short stories, essays, and poems, families cope with autism, deafness, muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome, other forms of retardation, and more, laying bare the moments of rage, disappointment, and guilt that can color their relationships. Parent-child communication can be a challenge at the best of times,b ut here we see the epic struggles and triumphs of those who speak their own language - or don't speak at all - and those who love them dearly. Together, the authors paint a beautiful, wrenchingly honest portrait of what it means to care for a child who does not experience the world as we do.
"Powerful, unflinching, and beautifully rendered, Love You to Pieces is...true literature. Through a combination of fiction, poetry and memoir - some by renowned authors, others by emerging writers, every piece saturated with hard-won insight - the loving parents in these pages speak honestly and artfully about every stage of their experience. Parents who wear these shoes will find deep, moving depictions of a reality they know so well. [Others] will find a literary experience they'll never forget -- and more richness than they ever imagined."
-Rachel Simon, author of Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey
"...the work acts as an eloquent support group for these parents. Highly recommended." --Library Journal
"Even for readers who are not parenting one of the 8 million babies born worldwide each year with genetic birth defects, this anthology offers something profound. " --Image Journal
" . . . a reminder of life's changeability; surprises occur and parents persevere, even in seemingly fixed situations." --Brain, Child
"[A] moving collection of well-crafted memoirs, fiction, and poetry that reflects the wild emotional complexities of living with and loving a child with disabilities." --Mothering
"[H]ard to put down...a must-read and definite keeper...all types of readers will glean something from [Love You to Pieces], be it insight, entertainment, or empathy." --Exceptional Parent
"Love You To Pieces is a unique reading experience: raw, moving, provocative and compelling. The stories are beautifully told, from many different backgrounds and perspectives, but taken together share a common and ultimately triumphant connecting thread: love conquers all."—Daniel Tammet, author of Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
"Love You to Pieces is groundbreaking. Our public discourse about disability is dominated by the voices of medical professionals and fix your child tomes. These stories elevate the experience of people with disabilities to the level of literature. It is a must buy book for anyone who parents, educates, or supports young people with disabilities.—Jonathan Mooney, author of The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal