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70 ratings | 50 reviews | avg rating:4.94

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Catherine Shields

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.cathyshieldswriter.com

Twitter

Catshields1

Genre

Memoir, Nonfiction, Parenting

Member Since

October 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/60915900-cathy-shields

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Catherine (Cathy) Shields writes about parenting, disabilities, and self-discovery. In debut memoir, The Shape Of Normal, A Memoir Of Motherhood, Disability And Embracing A Different Kind Of Perfect, Cathy explores the truths and lies parents tell themselves. Her book was named a category WINNER in the 2023 American Writing Awards, and her writing has twice been nominated for a Pushcart. Her essays have been published in NBC Today. Newsweek, Bacopa Literary Review, Grown and Flown, Brevity Blog, Mother Magazine, U Revolution, and Write City Magazine. Cathy resides in Miami, Florida with her husband. They enjoy taking long bike rides and kayaking. Follow her on her Instagram @cathyshieldswriter..

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Catherine Shields’s books

Average rating: 4.84 · 137 ratings · 106 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect

4.84 avg rating — 137 ratings — 2 editions

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Catherine Shields's Blog

Here’s an excerpt from my book, a story published in Bacopa Literary Review

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Bacopa-Literar...

The Messenger

My cousin Charlie and I stand six feet apart in my living room. I imagine he has already calculated the prescribed distance before he even stepped over the threshold. He hasn’t changed. Not since I saw him ten years ago when he came to my wedding and wore what seemed to be an exact replica of that long, black coat.

When he call

Catherine is Currently Reading

Catherine Shields is currently reading

But I'm Still Here: Shaking the Tree - brazen. short. memoir. (Vol. 5)

by Marni Freedman

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 29, 2024 02:01PM

Catherine Shields is currently reading

The Book Bible: How to Sell Your Manuscript—No Matter What Genre—Without Going Broke or Insane

by Susan Shapiro (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 01, 2022 01:38PM

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Catherine’s Recent Updates

Catherine Shields entered a giveaway Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author) 100 copies available, ends on September 30, 2026 Enter to win »
Sep 01, 2026 09:35AM · like · see giveaway
Catherine Shields made a comment on Rebekah S.’s review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect " Thank you for sharing your review! Hope you will recommend it to others! "
Aug 13, 2026 11:17AM · see review
Catherine Shields made a comment on Ramon S.’s review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect " thank you so much for your review! I hope you will share it with others. "
Aug 13, 2026 11:16AM · see review
Catherine Shields made a comment on Holly R.’s review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect " thank you for writing that wonderful review of my book. I hope you will continue to pass it on to others. "
Aug 13, 2026 11:15AM · see review
Catherine Shields liked Sydney Rowe's review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect: "I am a sucker for a good redemption story, but this isn't about the daughter's redemption it's about the mother’s. The moment Cathy realizes she was on a "hero’s journey to save her child" when she actually needed to save herself is a literary gut pu" Read more of this review »
Aug 13, 2026 11:12AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Shields liked Louise Newlands's review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect: "This book left me breathless. Catherine Shields has written a memoir that is so raw and painfully honest that I felt every ounce of her struggle, guilt, and fierce love. The synopsis says it perfectly this isn't a "hero's journey" to fix a child. It'" Read more of this review »
Aug 13, 2026 11:11AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Shields made a comment on Kiara Donnelly’s review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect " Thank you for writing that review! "
Aug 13, 2026 11:11AM · see review
Catherine Shields liked Kiara Donnelly's review of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect: "Don't let the gentle cover fool you. This memoir has teeth. Shields writes about cognitive disability in a child with such unflinching clarity, especially about the parts parents are afraid to admit (the resentment, the exhaustion, the grief). But th" Read more of this review »
Aug 13, 2026 11:10AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shape of Normal by Catherine Shields <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Catherine Shields is now following Gina Troisi Author of The Angle of Flickering Light
Aug 13, 2026 11:01AM · like
Catherine Shields entered a giveaway The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 03, 2026 04:24PM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Catherine’s Quotes

“For years, I struggled to resist the diagnosis, trying to make Jessica normal, trying to fit her into the mold of my imagined future. But what I now see is the valuable lesson Jessica taught me. I was the one who needed to change.”
― Catherine Shields

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