A review by elenibrooks
The Life You Never Expected: Thriving While Parenting Special Needs Children by Rachel Wilson, Andrew Wilson
5.0
Wow.
This book has been on my TBR list for a while. I borrowed it from a mum at church who has a child with autism. My brother has mild autism and I used to volunteer at an SEN school so I have an interest in and passion for individuals with disabilities.
This book is about more than just disabilities though. It’s about disappointment, suffering and lamenting. Don’t be put off by the title and think it’s not for you; the Wilson’s particular sufferings are a means to an end when it comes to the message of the book. I already have a mental list of friends I want to recommend this too and none of them have disabled children.
The biblical and theological insights alongside the Wilsons vulnerably shared story make for an easy read, I devoured this in a couple of hours but I know I will read it again. I wanted to underline so much that I think it will be easier to just reread it every few months to remind myself.
In terms of the structure of the book it begins with a chapter on Psalm 103 which explores the psalms framework - Weeping, Worshipping, Waiting and Witnessing. The book then contains four “cycles” where these four topics are looked at accompanied by four “And Breathe” chapters. The four cycles and the short chapters make it easy to read over a long period of time or easy to read in a few hours like I did.
Not sure what else there is to say. It’s a fab book. 10/10.
This book has been on my TBR list for a while. I borrowed it from a mum at church who has a child with autism. My brother has mild autism and I used to volunteer at an SEN school so I have an interest in and passion for individuals with disabilities.
This book is about more than just disabilities though. It’s about disappointment, suffering and lamenting. Don’t be put off by the title and think it’s not for you; the Wilson’s particular sufferings are a means to an end when it comes to the message of the book. I already have a mental list of friends I want to recommend this too and none of them have disabled children.
The biblical and theological insights alongside the Wilsons vulnerably shared story make for an easy read, I devoured this in a couple of hours but I know I will read it again. I wanted to underline so much that I think it will be easier to just reread it every few months to remind myself.
In terms of the structure of the book it begins with a chapter on Psalm 103 which explores the psalms framework - Weeping, Worshipping, Waiting and Witnessing. The book then contains four “cycles” where these four topics are looked at accompanied by four “And Breathe” chapters. The four cycles and the short chapters make it easy to read over a long period of time or easy to read in a few hours like I did.
Not sure what else there is to say. It’s a fab book. 10/10.