I keep reading about Andrew Solomon's new book Far from the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity. Solomon writes about children with disabilities, children conceived by rape, children who are transgendered and children with schizophrenia, among others, and the impact these differences have on families. You would think that I'd run toward this book, but I've actually felt overwhelmed by it, if that makes sense. I've felt weary at the prospect of reading it. I'm living the life that it evidently exhaustively describes (and Solomon himself is a gay dyslexic who suffered from and wrote brilliantly about his own clinical depression in The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression). But I saw this promotional video this morning and decided that it's next on my list of books to read.
I was thinking, I don't know, I don't know....until the end and of course that young woman with Ds killed me with "I'm lucky too." But I still don't know if I want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI bought it on my Kindle. Haven't started it yet. Next on my list.
ReplyDeleteI kept meaning to ask you if you'd read that article in the New Yorker about the book. I see that yes, it has entered your radar.
ReplyDeleteI saw an advertisement for it and was hesitant for the same reasons you were.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go buy it tomorrow after watching that. So beautiful.
I'm reading it. So far only to the second chapter. He has some wonderful things to say. I'm not sure I agree with everything yet, but he's making me think, and so far he hasn't enraged me or sent me spiraling downward. I'll keep you posted (or else blog about it at my blog).
ReplyDeleteI was a bit the same about whether I wanted to read it or not too. But I have given in and ordered it. I will probably blog about it too.
ReplyDeleteI tried to read The Noonday Demon several years ago and I couldn't get into it at all.
ReplyDeleteyou read my mind. i've been planning on reading it, too, though i'll have to carve out some daytime reading time or i'll never get through it. many friends have sent me links to the articles about it. watching that video made me cry. i think i'll have to steal it for my blog, too. you mind?
ReplyDeleteWow! I think I'll have to take a look at it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI read a positive review of this book somewhere recently (NYT?)
ReplyDeleteOh crap! Now I'm going to have to read it. I got halfway through The Noonday Demon before my heart was so torn up I had to stop. But I want to read this because I have a friend with a transgender son and another friend whose son has autism and another friend whose daughter has DS and because you have Sophie, and Sophie touches my heart. Thank you, Elizabeth, for posting this.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling this is one of those books that will break me wide open.
ReplyDeleteBreathe deeply .
Begin.
The range of human experience is remarkable. Thanks for posting this, Elizabeth.
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