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First Published:
Feb 2006, 208 pages
Paperback:
Mar 2007, 196 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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Fashion designer Dana Buchman tells of her daughter Charlotte's severe struggle with learning disabilities and of her own steep learning curve to become the mother Charlotte needs her to be.
Fashion designer Dana Buchman tells of her daughter Charlotte's severe
struggle with learning disabilities and of her own steep learning
curve to become the mother Charlotte needs her to be.
Dana Buchman knew almost nothing about "learning differences" when
her oldest daughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with neurological,
spatial, and motor skill disabilities as a toddler. Furthermore, from
the Ivy League to the launch of her own fashion label, Buchman had
encountered few obstacles that couldn't be overcome through hard work
and determination. Unfortunately, Buchman's well-developed ability to
"fix" things would not serve her in her efforts to deal with
Charlotte's disabilities; she would have to develop a new skill set to
be able to see Charlotte as a person with unique abilities.
A riveting and intensely personal memoir, A Special Education
reveals the long and arduous process of Charlotte's development as
well as Buchman's own path to self-discovery. Confessing frequent
anxiety, guilt, frustration, and anger, Buchman describes the
difficult search to find the right school and care for Charlotte and
the strain the process put on her marriage and family life. In
addition, Buchman tells of her own struggles with excessive drinking
and workaholism - and of finally letting go of her drive to be
"perfect."
A moving mother-daughter story, A Special Education is an
inspiring account of one mother's journey to acceptance and
understanding as well as a family's triumph over daunting
circumstances.
Chapter 1
The Wonder Year
Some people, when faced with a major life change, make a conscious effort to
slow everything else down. A woman who’s having a child for the first time might
decide to lighten her load at work. Someone who is taking on new
responsibilities in her job might hold off on starting a family that year.
I have never been one of those people.
For most of my life, I have been a serious doer, undaunted by the notion of
having too much on my plate. If anything, I would jump at the chance to juggle
more for all the world to see. I had been encouraged early on by my mother and
my grandmother to be a high achiever, and I got hooked on the accolades they
showered on me. I wanted to be a superwoman, the embodiment of the
“having-it-all” feminist ideal that became so popular when I was in college in
the 1970s.
A Special Education
If there was ever a year when I got to shine, it was 1986, probably the most
action-...
It was a happy surprise to find Buchman's memoir is surprisingly readable. If her solution had been to throw money and experts at her daughter's "problems" then the book would have been of little interest. However, instead she shows that it was she that had to change in order to recognize her daughter's unique abilities. As a parent, the lesson of meeting one's children at least half way is one many of us can appreciate...continued
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