A review by falconerreader
Home at Last by Vera B. Williams, Chris Raschka
5.0
I just read this to my ten year old, and both of us were quietly stunned by how many notes it hit.
I love that the family includes two dads, without a big deal being made about it. My daughter said, "Oh, two dads--so they're gay, okay." "Window" representation is super important, and I want her to get comfortable with all types of families.
The rest, though, was all mirror. The chaotic childhood. The months of waiting and paperwork. The night fears. The ongoing attempt to protect oneself, because one doesn't feel safe even in this safe and loving home. The temper-losing parent, strung out on lack of sleep and what feels like defiant behavior. I can't even really describe how familiar it felt, even though the details of our lives are different.
When our kids came home, we slept in their rooms for I don't know how long. Months. We'd been told that if we nurtured this need, they would outgrow it, but if we refused to honor the "missed steps" of their childhood, those things would become issues. Eventually they got to the point where if we stayed until they were asleep, we could then steal out and sleep in our own bed, together. Then we just had to lay down with them for awhile. Then tuck them in after a lengthy evening routine. Now one kid just wants me to come in and say goodnight, while the other wants to be tucked in and given a kiss. So that piece of advice has paid off well, and I so wanted to shout it to the well meaning dads in this book.
This book might not mean much to most families, but it's definitely a right-fit book for mine.
I love that the family includes two dads, without a big deal being made about it. My daughter said, "Oh, two dads--so they're gay, okay." "Window" representation is super important, and I want her to get comfortable with all types of families.
The rest, though, was all mirror. The chaotic childhood. The months of waiting and paperwork. The night fears. The ongoing attempt to protect oneself, because one doesn't feel safe even in this safe and loving home. The temper-losing parent, strung out on lack of sleep and what feels like defiant behavior. I can't even really describe how familiar it felt, even though the details of our lives are different.
When our kids came home, we slept in their rooms for I don't know how long. Months. We'd been told that if we nurtured this need, they would outgrow it, but if we refused to honor the "missed steps" of their childhood, those things would become issues. Eventually they got to the point where if we stayed until they were asleep, we could then steal out and sleep in our own bed, together. Then we just had to lay down with them for awhile. Then tuck them in after a lengthy evening routine. Now one kid just wants me to come in and say goodnight, while the other wants to be tucked in and given a kiss. So that piece of advice has paid off well, and I so wanted to shout it to the well meaning dads in this book.
This book might not mean much to most families, but it's definitely a right-fit book for mine.