sizrobe's review
4.0
Frank and open memoir about raising a kid with down's syndrome. Frequently heartbreaking.
raingirlpdx's review
5.0
Beamont's beautiful, anguished story about her 3rd daughter, who was born with Down Syndrome. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Knowing how it happens does not make it any easier to raise differently-abled kids like Beth. Beaumont tells her story starkly and with hope.
wombatjenni's review
5.0
Holy moly. I got this in a bundle from the library under the tag Graphic Medicine (in an effort to read more of graphic medicine novels), and I was going to just glance at it before doing something else... but ended up sitting down and reading it all in one go.
The art is amazing: it's brutal, descriptive, painterly, and expressionistic at the same time, and I was absolutely swept away and mesmerized by it. It was almost like looking at photographs of the people transforming and dancing in front of my eyes, and much like in reading the Arrival by Shaun Tan, this graphic novel could've probably worked really well even without any speech bubbles.
And the story itself. My hat's off to any parents who dare to admit that they've had very, very conflicting feelings about their children, especially when that child has special abilities. Reading about experiences like Henny's humanizes both the parents and the children, and makes room for a transparent, candid dialog about conditions such as Down syndrome.
I highly, highly recommend this tough, but loving graphic novel.
The art is amazing: it's brutal, descriptive, painterly, and expressionistic at the same time, and I was absolutely swept away and mesmerized by it. It was almost like looking at photographs of the people transforming and dancing in front of my eyes, and much like in reading the Arrival by Shaun Tan, this graphic novel could've probably worked really well even without any speech bubbles.
And the story itself. My hat's off to any parents who dare to admit that they've had very, very conflicting feelings about their children, especially when that child has special abilities. Reading about experiences like Henny's humanizes both the parents and the children, and makes room for a transparent, candid dialog about conditions such as Down syndrome.
I highly, highly recommend this tough, but loving graphic novel.
acinthedc's review
2.0
Beaumont offers an honest look at her struggles of having a child with Down Syndrome - the shock and uncertainty when the diagnosis was offered after her third daughter Beth was born, the shame and fear of caring for a child with special needs, the desire for Beth to be normal, and coming to terms with reality. The emotions ring true and the artwork is solid. I found the narrative lacking in that it was all about Henny and how she felt and was dealing or not dealing with the needs of her daughter, mostly ignoring the concerns and opinions of her spouse and children. I didn't really get a sense of Beth's personality at all. Overall 2.5 out of 5.
off2explore's review
5.0
Heartfelt look at the complicated emotions of raising a child with Down syndrome. A very quick read with a lot packed in.
thegolden_booklover's review
4.0
⭐️ 4
A graphic novel about a family who is raising a child with Down syndrome.
Illustrations in the book are in black and white evoking a sad, depressing feeling which is understandable considering that Beth's parents did know about her conditions until she was born.
What I will remember from this novel are three important moments:
- At the beginning, we have an inside onto how Beth's parents felt excluded from the outside world because of her conditions. Not only from strangers, but also from their friends and other family members. Having experienced working with an adult with the same conditions, I must admit it is a hard work, very unpredictable and every day is not the same.
- Luckily enough, this book is not only sad and depressed. We see a close bond the family has, how helpful and protective all siblings are. Despite parents fears, all siblings grew tenderness and love towards to Beth.
- The nicest moment for me was to see that in the end mum found her way to accept Beth as difficult as it might be (the whole situation, not Beth), and to enjoy every moment she had with her telling her how special she is.
A graphic novel about a family who is raising a child with Down syndrome.
Illustrations in the book are in black and white evoking a sad, depressing feeling which is understandable considering that Beth's parents did know about her conditions until she was born.
What I will remember from this novel are three important moments:
- At the beginning, we have an inside onto how Beth's parents felt excluded from the outside world because of her conditions. Not only from strangers, but also from their friends and other family members. Having experienced working with an adult with the same conditions, I must admit it is a hard work, very unpredictable and every day is not the same.
- Luckily enough, this book is not only sad and depressed. We see a close bond the family has, how helpful and protective all siblings are. Despite parents fears, all siblings grew tenderness and love towards to Beth.
- The nicest moment for me was to see that in the end mum found her way to accept Beth as difficult as it might be (the whole situation, not Beth), and to enjoy every moment she had with her telling her how special she is.