Five kids. Autism. Marriage. Building a family is messy business. In her most revealing memoir yet, Carrie is candid about the challenges of marriage, motherhood, and keeping one's identity in the midst of raising a family. She gives the reader a glimpse into life with a diagnosed child. She shares their experience with puberty, social media, high school, and steps toward independent living. Composed as a series of powerful letters, her writing is gritty yet tender. In prose that is nearly poetic, Carrie makes you feel as though you are old friends, sitting down for a cup of coffee and a heartfelt conversation. She chronicles the journey to find a post-high school opportunity for her son Jack and gives an honest account about the conflict when it comes to letting him go. She explains how, in this autism life, there is no manual. There are no instructions for how to untether yourself from a tender child who needed you for so long, you forgot what life was like before he disrupted your world in an exquisitely magical way. Her story will resonate with anyone preparing to transition a child after high school and beyond. Again and again, Carrie reminds us of a single truth. We are not alone.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.