My Father's Eyes

by Sheila Allee

My Father's Eyes is the story of Sheila Allee's relationship with her Uncle Melrose, who had a profound intellectual disability. She didn't know of her uncle for many years and accidentally discovered his existence when she was a teenager. Decades later, she found him in a state institution, where he had lived for more than 50 years, and helped him move to a group home. Through the process, she thought she was only righting a wrong that had been done when her uncle was ostracized from his family. But what really happened was that her Uncle Melrose helped her heal from her own emotional injuries.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

I knew since elementary school that I wanted to be a writer. In fact, I joined my first writers group with classmates when I was 10 years old. In high school, I got interested in journalism and majored in that field in college. I was a journalist for 12 years and I have to credit journalism with providing my early training in the basics of writing.

My latest book is All are Free to Write, a one-year journal with writing prompts and blank pages for journaling.

Also on my author's bookshelf is My Father's Eyes, a memoir about the friendship I had with an uncle who had a profound intellectual disability and who was locked in an institution for decades.

My first book was Texas Mutiny: Bullets, Ballots and Boss Rule. It is a true crime about a political assassination that happened in the 1950s.

Reviews

[Peacejanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gentle book is about one woman's search for a “missing” uncle who is institutionalized in a state facility with “profound intellectual disabilities.” No one in the family speaks about him and she is afraid to ask her volatile, distant father about his brother. Only decades after she reached adulthood did she start the search, only to be stymied by government privacy rules. Allee was fortunate in that she knew some people who gave her information, off the record. Along the way, she discovered information about a dead family member she never knew about. Allee found her uncle and recognized him because his eyes were the same eyes of her father.
The pain of secrecy within families and the fear of disclosure and discussion of intellectual disabilities is the basis for this beautiful book. Any one who has mental illness, intellectual disabilities, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies or other “shameful” (this is the reviewer's word, not the author's) situations within his or her family will identify with this book. There are so many things that families refuse to discuss. This book is one step toward open discussion – because it shows the loss and the pain when we refuse to face and/or discuss the realities of life that touch all of us. I received a review copy of this book from Goodreads.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncle Melrose was hidden away for years in an institution. When the author found him he was in a loving, structured environment , but something was missing. A father, solid but distant, haunted by the memory of a brother he loved and lost. Sheila Allee, a girl wanting a father's love and a close, warm relationship. . My Father's Eyes is a beautiful story of one woman's journey to find and help the Uncle she never knew. In so doing, she finds herself instead and comes to terms with her father's remoteness. In Melrose, she finds the unconditional love and warmth she so longs for. I won this book in a Give Away, and I am glad I did. Thank you Ms Allwe. And to Uncle Melrose, hope heaven is filled with the joy of Golden Arches, Car rides, and children's laughter.

[Peggy Hess Greenawalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I grew up with an older brother, who had profound intellectual disabilities and lived in a state institution and then a group home, I found this book to be an interesting read. So many people across the United States were left in these institutions and rarely visited by their families...so sad. This inspiring story, tells of one woman that made a difference in the life of her Uncle Melrose, who lived in a TX state school from the age of 15. This book is very short, but long on helping one understand the plight of mentally challenged people and how Uncle Melrose helped the author through her own emotional journey. I had the pleasure of meeting the author and hearing her speak at our book club.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through goodreads giveaways.

This book is a well written and easy to read story about a woman's experience getting to know her cognitively impaired uncle. It is touching, poignant and informative. It helps educate people about the evolution of care of those who are mentally impaired and helps demonstrate how these individuals too can impact our world.

[Dottie Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful book. There is so much to be learned from others even when there is no verbal communication. We all need an Uncle Melrose in our lives.

I received this book for free through Goodreads free books.

[Kay Robart · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my review here:

http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2014/...

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought this book was very good. very tearjerking, but I loved the story of it