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Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs
Linda Atwell and her strong-willed daughter, Lindsey--a high-functioning young adult with intellectual disabilities--have always had a complicated relationship. But when Lindsey graduates from Silverton High School at nineteen and gets a job at Goodwill, she also moves into a newly remodeled cottage in her parents' backyard--and Linda believes that all their difficult times may finally be behind them.
Life, however, proves not to be so simple. As Lindsey plunges into adulthood, she experiments with sex, considers a tubal ligation, and at twenty quits Goodwill and runs away with Emmett, a man more than twice her age. As Lindsey grows closer to Emmett, she slips further away from her family--but Linda, determined to save her daughter, refuses to give up. A touching memoir with unexpected moments of joy and humor, Loving Lindsey is a story about independence, rescue, resilience, and, most of all, love.
Life, however, proves not to be so simple. As Lindsey plunges into adulthood, she experiments with sex, considers a tubal ligation, and at twenty quits Goodwill and runs away with Emmett, a man more than twice her age. As Lindsey grows closer to Emmett, she slips further away from her family--but Linda, determined to save her daughter, refuses to give up. A touching memoir with unexpected moments of joy and humor, Loving Lindsey is a story about independence, rescue, resilience, and, most of all, love.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2017
14 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Linda Atwell
4 books17 followersWINNER - 6th Annual Beverly Hills Book Awards in the Parenting/Family and Relationships categories
FINALIST - 2017 USA Best Book Awards in Parenting/Family
FINALIST - 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the category of Memoirs―Overcoming Adversity/Tragedy
FINALIST - 2018 International Book Awards in the Parenting/Family
Linda Atwell lives in Silverton, Oregon with her husband, John. She earned her BA from George Fox College, but it is her entrepreneurial and adventuresome spirits that have inspired her career goals. Atwell owned a successful home décor business for ten years before switching to adjusting catastrophe insurance claims and climbing roofs for a living. Now she writes. Her first book, Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs was recently released by She Writes Press and was the selected Winner in the 6th Annual Beverly Hills Book Awards in the categories of Relationships and Parenting & Family. Loving Lindsey was also selected as a Finalist in the 2017 Best Book Awards. In addition, her award-winning work has appeared in print and online magazines. Atwell irregularly writes a blog about her daughter with special needs. She is happiest traveling the world and hopes to get fifty stamps in her passport before it expires.
FINALIST - 2017 USA Best Book Awards in Parenting/Family
FINALIST - 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the category of Memoirs―Overcoming Adversity/Tragedy
FINALIST - 2018 International Book Awards in the Parenting/Family
Linda Atwell lives in Silverton, Oregon with her husband, John. She earned her BA from George Fox College, but it is her entrepreneurial and adventuresome spirits that have inspired her career goals. Atwell owned a successful home décor business for ten years before switching to adjusting catastrophe insurance claims and climbing roofs for a living. Now she writes. Her first book, Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs was recently released by She Writes Press and was the selected Winner in the 6th Annual Beverly Hills Book Awards in the categories of Relationships and Parenting & Family. Loving Lindsey was also selected as a Finalist in the 2017 Best Book Awards. In addition, her award-winning work has appeared in print and online magazines. Atwell irregularly writes a blog about her daughter with special needs. She is happiest traveling the world and hopes to get fifty stamps in her passport before it expires.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 30, 2017
"I wanted a daughter, but not the one I got." LOVING LINDSEY is a brave book that is laden with unbridled angst, yet brimming with joy. A story told with honesty, depth, and love. The pages reveal a veritable kaleidoscope of family dynamics and emotions that run the gamut from raw pain and anger to laughter, and from despair to hope. LOVING LINDSEY is a poignant and valuable book that provides readers with a glimpse of the demanding terrain of parents who give roots—and wings—to children with special needs.
October 5, 2018
"I wanted a daughter...but not the one I got."
This was the painful admission that Linda Atwell eventually told a therapist about her daughter, Lindsey. Atwell had dreamed of having the perfect child, and her beautiful, healthy newborn daughter seemed the realization of her dreams. But at 16 months of age, Lindsey had a terrifying grand mal seizure, which may or may not have explained the short in her neurological system that kept her intellectually stunted, suffering from ongoing essential tremors (a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking), social anxiety, and other emotional problems.
Raising even "normal" children is already a daunting challenge. Raising a special needs child requires infinitely more infusions of love, patience, money, as well as a difficult reframing of parental expectations for the child's future. Attwell's memoir is filled with heartfelt love, devotion, and honesty about her journey as Lindsey's mother. Whether driving all over town to find the all-but-sold-out Cabbage Patch doll that Lindsey desperately wants for Christmas, or designing and building a small cottage on their property where she can live semi-independently as a young adult, Attwell and her husband spare no effort in supporting Lindsey's efforts toward maximum functionality and some semblance of independence.
Much of the book involves the emotionally wrenching four years when Lindsey ran off to live with a predator more than twice her age, to the shock and horror of her disbelieving parents. Despite her status as a special-needs adult, the state authorities could do nothing to help the Atwells recover their daughter.
Throughout the years, Attwell tries to find coping tools to deal with Lindsey's emotional immaturity, inflexibility, and relentless demands, such as for a pet horse. She struggles to keep her heart open and loving toward her daughter while also protecting herself emotionally from frequently unappreciative and insulting talk from the daughter for whom she has done so much. Ultimately, Attwell defines better boundaries for herself, insisting that Lindsey can choose "glad or mad" when things don't go her way.
Loving Lindsey is a gripping read and an important contribution to the genre of parenting memoirs. Raising a special-needs child makes parenting not just a job for 20 or 25 years but for the rest of your life and beyond, planning for the care and support of a less-than-fully independent adult.
It also means that parents must redefine their idea of the "ideal" or "perfect" child.
This was the painful admission that Linda Atwell eventually told a therapist about her daughter, Lindsey. Atwell had dreamed of having the perfect child, and her beautiful, healthy newborn daughter seemed the realization of her dreams. But at 16 months of age, Lindsey had a terrifying grand mal seizure, which may or may not have explained the short in her neurological system that kept her intellectually stunted, suffering from ongoing essential tremors (a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking), social anxiety, and other emotional problems.
Raising even "normal" children is already a daunting challenge. Raising a special needs child requires infinitely more infusions of love, patience, money, as well as a difficult reframing of parental expectations for the child's future. Attwell's memoir is filled with heartfelt love, devotion, and honesty about her journey as Lindsey's mother. Whether driving all over town to find the all-but-sold-out Cabbage Patch doll that Lindsey desperately wants for Christmas, or designing and building a small cottage on their property where she can live semi-independently as a young adult, Attwell and her husband spare no effort in supporting Lindsey's efforts toward maximum functionality and some semblance of independence.
Much of the book involves the emotionally wrenching four years when Lindsey ran off to live with a predator more than twice her age, to the shock and horror of her disbelieving parents. Despite her status as a special-needs adult, the state authorities could do nothing to help the Atwells recover their daughter.
Throughout the years, Attwell tries to find coping tools to deal with Lindsey's emotional immaturity, inflexibility, and relentless demands, such as for a pet horse. She struggles to keep her heart open and loving toward her daughter while also protecting herself emotionally from frequently unappreciative and insulting talk from the daughter for whom she has done so much. Ultimately, Attwell defines better boundaries for herself, insisting that Lindsey can choose "glad or mad" when things don't go her way.
Loving Lindsey is a gripping read and an important contribution to the genre of parenting memoirs. Raising a special-needs child makes parenting not just a job for 20 or 25 years but for the rest of your life and beyond, planning for the care and support of a less-than-fully independent adult.
It also means that parents must redefine their idea of the "ideal" or "perfect" child.
June 22, 2017
If you want a memoir that’s unflinching, unfiltered, and uncommon, Loving Lindsey needs to go on your must-read list.
Eschewing treacly pablum, Linda Atwell has written a stunning memoir about her life with her daughter Lindsey who has special needs. At times harrowing, the story Atwell tells sears with its honesty. She weaves through time, seamlessly blending the characters’ past events with the story’s present plotline.
Will reading Loving Lindsey make you uncomfortable, amused, sad, angry, depressed, relieved, frustrated, or surprised? Maybe. I felt all of these emotions at different points in the narrative. It’s provocative and it will leave you changed, which is the highest praise I can give a book.
Eschewing treacly pablum, Linda Atwell has written a stunning memoir about her life with her daughter Lindsey who has special needs. At times harrowing, the story Atwell tells sears with its honesty. She weaves through time, seamlessly blending the characters’ past events with the story’s present plotline.
Will reading Loving Lindsey make you uncomfortable, amused, sad, angry, depressed, relieved, frustrated, or surprised? Maybe. I felt all of these emotions at different points in the narrative. It’s provocative and it will leave you changed, which is the highest praise I can give a book.
July 6, 2017
Reading Atwell's book, Loving Lindsey, was a remarkable journey with Linda and her daughter, through teenage years to adulthood, with well placed memory flashbacks to childhood. She tells the story of her relationship with Lindsey, who has special-needs, from a loving yet challenged parent's view. She and her husband and extended family guide Lindsey through life, with patience, love, concern and sometimes frustration. Their hopeful end result for their daughter was always healthy indepedence.
Linda, and Lindsey, as well as the rest of their family have come through the years, heroically, as survivors. The book is a page-turner, to be sure! You will not be sorry for choosing to read Loving Lindsey. I am awaiting the sequel!
Linda, and Lindsey, as well as the rest of their family have come through the years, heroically, as survivors. The book is a page-turner, to be sure! You will not be sorry for choosing to read Loving Lindsey. I am awaiting the sequel!
June 25, 2017
Suspenseful. Honest. Insightful. Emotional.
After just reading my Advance Readers Copy of Linda Atwell's memoir, I have a better understanding of how parents and family members of mentally and/or physically challenged persons goes through. In this book, it seems the author (and husband) were pushed to the limits on numerous occasions. Their feelings of desperation to find and save their daughter, to enduring many rejections on being 'rescued' from this 'predator', but at the same time experiencing joy and laughter that keeps them determined to reunite and be a family once again. This story is heart wrenching and honest. It exposes the author's vulnerabilities, her thoughts on what she could or wished she could have differently and her hope for a better relationship with her daughter. This is a hope that every mother can relate to and cherish once received. With every mother/daughter relationship, it takes a lot of work to maintain a positive and loving relationship. I know Linda and Lindsey personally and know they both work hard on keeping a positive and healthy loving relationship. By being supportive of each other and with respect, I know their relationship can thrive and become one that is worth fighting for. This memoir is worth the read even if you do not have or know a special needs person. It opens up your mind to their world they live in and how you should cherish the ones you have. By maintaining my friendship with both these extraordinary women, I am anxious to learn what the next chapter in their lives brings.
After just reading my Advance Readers Copy of Linda Atwell's memoir, I have a better understanding of how parents and family members of mentally and/or physically challenged persons goes through. In this book, it seems the author (and husband) were pushed to the limits on numerous occasions. Their feelings of desperation to find and save their daughter, to enduring many rejections on being 'rescued' from this 'predator', but at the same time experiencing joy and laughter that keeps them determined to reunite and be a family once again. This story is heart wrenching and honest. It exposes the author's vulnerabilities, her thoughts on what she could or wished she could have differently and her hope for a better relationship with her daughter. This is a hope that every mother can relate to and cherish once received. With every mother/daughter relationship, it takes a lot of work to maintain a positive and loving relationship. I know Linda and Lindsey personally and know they both work hard on keeping a positive and healthy loving relationship. By being supportive of each other and with respect, I know their relationship can thrive and become one that is worth fighting for. This memoir is worth the read even if you do not have or know a special needs person. It opens up your mind to their world they live in and how you should cherish the ones you have. By maintaining my friendship with both these extraordinary women, I am anxious to learn what the next chapter in their lives brings.
July 6, 2017
Linda Atwell provided me with an Advanced Copy of Loving Lindsey, and I read it in one sitting. I met Linda a number of years back at a Willamette Writers Conference, so I knew about her special needs daughter, Lindsey, and I knew Linda was writing a book about her relationship with her daughter.
Linda had also shared stories with me about some of the tough times she'd had with Lindsey. So I had a clue that the subject of Loving Lindsey would be a difficult one to read. Because of this, I didn't expect to devour the book, as I knew it would be painful. And, it was. Linda offers an unflinching look at both her daughter and herself, and the difficult relationship they both had to endure over a thirty-year period. However, Linda's writing just pulled me in and didn't let me go.
Despite the pain that Loving Lindsey discusses, there is also so much love, and quite unexpectedly, flashes of joy. There are even some truly funny moments as Lindsey has her own special way of describing life, which can be very endearing.
I highly recommend this book. It's fascinating and I think you'll walk away knowing that if Linda can survive what she did, then we all have it in us to survive the unexpected and the difficult.
Linda had also shared stories with me about some of the tough times she'd had with Lindsey. So I had a clue that the subject of Loving Lindsey would be a difficult one to read. Because of this, I didn't expect to devour the book, as I knew it would be painful. And, it was. Linda offers an unflinching look at both her daughter and herself, and the difficult relationship they both had to endure over a thirty-year period. However, Linda's writing just pulled me in and didn't let me go.
Despite the pain that Loving Lindsey discusses, there is also so much love, and quite unexpectedly, flashes of joy. There are even some truly funny moments as Lindsey has her own special way of describing life, which can be very endearing.
I highly recommend this book. It's fascinating and I think you'll walk away knowing that if Linda can survive what she did, then we all have it in us to survive the unexpected and the difficult.
February 13, 2018
A brutally honest story about raising a ‘different’ child.
I have read many of such stories - about cute babies, sorrows of diagnosis, the blessings – all the usual little lies parents tell themselves and others, in attempt to create a new meaning of shattered life.
This book has none of it. It’s brutally honest story of a family, finding the ways to accept the reality which is very difficult to accept. No tearjerking dramas for you to cry over and then easily move on – just daily, mundane battle over and over again, chilling to the bone.
Raising a ‘different’ child and then an adult who is still a child isn’t easy, and author is not smoothing over the sharp edges here – it is hard. But – and here is the happy ending, if you like – there is a way. No, no miracle cures here. But if you find a way to accept instead of fighting, the happy ending is possible.
A must read if you are brave enough to face reality.
I have read many of such stories - about cute babies, sorrows of diagnosis, the blessings – all the usual little lies parents tell themselves and others, in attempt to create a new meaning of shattered life.
This book has none of it. It’s brutally honest story of a family, finding the ways to accept the reality which is very difficult to accept. No tearjerking dramas for you to cry over and then easily move on – just daily, mundane battle over and over again, chilling to the bone.
Raising a ‘different’ child and then an adult who is still a child isn’t easy, and author is not smoothing over the sharp edges here – it is hard. But – and here is the happy ending, if you like – there is a way. No, no miracle cures here. But if you find a way to accept instead of fighting, the happy ending is possible.
A must read if you are brave enough to face reality.
July 11, 2017
I received an advance copy of Loving Lindsey for a review. I personally know Linda and worked with her at Farmers Insurance for many years. I also know Lindsey, and a few years ago, I helped move her furnishings from one apartment to another. So I feel I have some inside perspective about this family and Lindsey's situation that people who merely read the book will not have.
Linda is a tremendous person—even without writing a book—and I already knew this. But, there was a point in the book when I just felt the utmost respect for her. Hers was not an easy life in dealing with Lindsey's antics while juggling early self-employment responsibilities, and later, the demands Farmers put on its employees. As I read the book, I often asked myself how I would sustain my sanity after years of raising a child with special needs.
Linda is a tremendous person—even without writing a book—and I already knew this. But, there was a point in the book when I just felt the utmost respect for her. Hers was not an easy life in dealing with Lindsey's antics while juggling early self-employment responsibilities, and later, the demands Farmers put on its employees. As I read the book, I often asked myself how I would sustain my sanity after years of raising a child with special needs.
May 25, 2017
I received, and read, an Advanced Reader Copy of this book an honest review. It is a memoir that doesn't hold back. I found myself laughing out loud on one page and then tearing up on the next. Author Linda Atwell authentically describes the situations, the struggles (including terribly humbling moments), and the victories in her relationship with her daughter Lindsey. It is heart-wrenching to live with her through the separation forced upon mother and daughter by an opportunistic predator. Atwell uses wise literary tools to pull the entire story together, eliciting emotion along the way. I recommend the book to mothers or daughters who have experienced challenges with the other as well as those who have, or are raising, children with special needs. I think grandparents, teachers, cops, and biography and memoir-lovers will also enjoy. Hoping there will be a second book.
June 26, 2017
I received and read an Advanced Reader Copy of Loving Lindsey. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I think all parents can relate to the feelings that Atwell so honestly shares. Throughout the book I found myself feeling a plethora of emotions: happy, sad, anxious, afraid, angry, hopeful. Atwell does a wonderful job articulating the struggles and accomplishments of raising a special needs child. As the mother of two young children, I appreciate Atwell's honesty. We live in a society that is so caught up in outer appearances that these raw, true life emotions are often camouflaged. I have followed Lindsey's story for years, and will continue to do so!
November 15, 2017
A moving, poignant memoir by a mother of an adult daughter with a significant developmental disability. As her daughter matures into adulthood she becomes involved with a much older man who the author justifiably believes is taking advantage of her daughter - and maybe physically abusing her. But because she is an adult, her parents are limited in the extent to which they can legally intervene. They face this extreme parenting challenge with grace and fortitude, but the author does not shy away from revealing the mistakes they made and the anguish they experience. Their love for Lindsey shines through this painful but ultimately joyful memoir.
July 9, 2017
“Loving Lindsey is a poignant and inspiring story about raising a child with special needs and guiding her toward independence. It is a must-read for parents in similar circumstances. And it is so much more. With brutal honesty and a healthy dose of humor, Atwell tackles one of the most challenging issues facing any parent: How to fiercely love our children, while at the same time letting them go.”----Marlena Fiol.
October 19, 2017
I love memoirs and Loving Lindsey did not disappoint. Atwell shares her life with her special needs daughter, Lindsey, in a way that will make you smile and bring tears to your eyes. It is a beautiful story of unbreakable love and devotion between mother and daughter. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, but always an entertaining story. I stayed up way too late reading this book and finished it in 2 days. I have passed it on to my own daughter.
June 12, 2017
I received an advance reader copy of Loving Lindsey for review. As the sibling of a sister with developmental disabilities, I am particularly interested in memoirs that allow me to see inside the lives of families that might be similar to mine. Atwell’s memoir focuses on Lindsey’s life from age nineteen to twenty-nine, with forays into childhood that informed the present. It didn’t take long for me to connect with Loving Lindsey. When Atwell described her as her “forever child,” I knew exactly what she meant.
I celebrated—with Atwell and with Lindsey, each accomplishment and each step toward independence that Lindsey takes. Achievements, such as navigating to the school bus might be taken for granted by a typical family but they are cause to celebrate in the Atwell family. I felt for her as she coped with the seemingly impossible dilemma of enabling Lindsey’s independence while, at the same time, trying to protect her from those who would exploit her lack of judgment and insight. When an older man seduces Lindsey and isolates her from her family, the Atwell’s are powerless. Lindsey is an adult and legally able to make her own decisions yet, as mentioned above, a forever-child.
Her description of how she, as a mother, responded to the challenges, victories, and defeats of raising a high-functioning daughter with special-needs is refreshing in its honesty. She is frank and vulnerable as she discloses her own self-doubt and perceived shortcomings. I particularly appreciated her concern about how her other child, Lindsey’s younger brother, was affected by the family circumstances. We siblings understand that the special-needs child requires more time and attention, making our time alone with parents particularly special. I was touched by the loving, supportive relationship Atwell had with her husband.
In Loving Lindsey, Atwell shines a light on the complicated issues involved in loving and living with someone with special needs. Whether you are a family member of someone with intellectual disabilities or just looking in from the outside, you will be moved.
I celebrated—with Atwell and with Lindsey, each accomplishment and each step toward independence that Lindsey takes. Achievements, such as navigating to the school bus might be taken for granted by a typical family but they are cause to celebrate in the Atwell family. I felt for her as she coped with the seemingly impossible dilemma of enabling Lindsey’s independence while, at the same time, trying to protect her from those who would exploit her lack of judgment and insight. When an older man seduces Lindsey and isolates her from her family, the Atwell’s are powerless. Lindsey is an adult and legally able to make her own decisions yet, as mentioned above, a forever-child.
Her description of how she, as a mother, responded to the challenges, victories, and defeats of raising a high-functioning daughter with special-needs is refreshing in its honesty. She is frank and vulnerable as she discloses her own self-doubt and perceived shortcomings. I particularly appreciated her concern about how her other child, Lindsey’s younger brother, was affected by the family circumstances. We siblings understand that the special-needs child requires more time and attention, making our time alone with parents particularly special. I was touched by the loving, supportive relationship Atwell had with her husband.
In Loving Lindsey, Atwell shines a light on the complicated issues involved in loving and living with someone with special needs. Whether you are a family member of someone with intellectual disabilities or just looking in from the outside, you will be moved.
June 28, 2017
Loving Lindsey had me captivated from beginning to end! Not only is the storytelling entertaining, but the emotional impact is visceral.
I laughed, cried, and agonized with Linda on many occasions while she skillfully weaved comical memories through her stories of heartbreak and desperate parenting moments.
As the mother of a daughter with special needs, I felt both inspired and encouraged by Linda's honest sharing of the lessons she learned and her heartfelt message of love and determination in raising her daughter to be independent.
I laughed, cried, and agonized with Linda on many occasions while she skillfully weaved comical memories through her stories of heartbreak and desperate parenting moments.
As the mother of a daughter with special needs, I felt both inspired and encouraged by Linda's honest sharing of the lessons she learned and her heartfelt message of love and determination in raising her daughter to be independent.
October 17, 2017
I loved being an 'advanced reader' and I loved the book too. Linda Atwell tells a wonderfully honest story of how she experienced, survived, learned and grew in the often chaotic times of raising Lindsey. I hope to hear more of Linda's family and her charming stories of the good and the not so good times. Lindsey's progress and Linda's observations together make for very satisfying read.
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September 9, 2017Loved the book. Linda captures the readers interest right from the beginning! The reader has no idea what is going to happen next. Great story of a mother's struggle to keep her special needs daughter out of harm's way. It's a heartwarming story of a mother's love that is constantly challenged by a very headstrong daughter. It's a wonderful read.
September 18, 2017
For me, reading "Loving Lindsey" by Linda Atwell opened insight into raising a child with special needs. This is an incredible story of a Mother and of a Father's love and determination along with relentless challenges to give their daughter the incredible gift of living her life in mainstream society. I found myself involved in every turn of the page. I highly recommend "Loving Lindsey"
June 30, 2017
I couldn't put it down. Linda Atwell brings to life the joy, pain, and frustration of raising a daughter with special needs. Any mother who has raised a daughter can relate to the struggle of motherhood. I laughed and cried through the beautiful story. A must read.
August 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book immensely . It is something that any parent raising children , special needs or not could easily step into and understand the moments of joy as well as deep heartaches. It moves quickly , I had a difficult time putting it down . Wonderfully written .
September 29, 2017
This book is so honest and a wonderful look into the love, messiness, and resilience of mother-daughter relationships. I highly recommend it; you won't be able to put it down!
November 17, 2017
This book was so interesting. Understanding walking the line between keeping Lindsey safe and letting her be independent was eye opening.
December 5, 2017
Loved the book. I always knew that raising a special needs child would be very challenging, but never gave much thought about when that child became an adult. This book is very insightful, funny, heart breaking, suspenseful and an all around good read. I highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
I picked this up by chance at the library. I really loved the raw honesty in which Linda describes the pain, joy, frustrations and love she feels in caring for an adult daughter with limited mental capacity. Her hard work to help her become independent, her devastation when she throws away that independence and runs off into an abusive relationship, her efforts to rescue her, to set healthy boundaries, and above all to never give up. A beautiful memoir.
May 25, 2017
I was fortunate enough to receive an early release copy of Loving Lindsey to take with me on my Hawaiian vacation. Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to do anything but READ READ READ!! I could not put it down. She made me laugh out loud, cry the ugly cry where I needed to use a Kleenex,( a difficult task while sunning on a tropical beach!) and reflect on my own life’s journey of raising children. Atwell gives an honest look into the ups and downs of raising her daughter, Lindsey. She tells their story, sharing “the good, the bad & the ugly”. She boldly shares personal feelings that most of us feel, but few will admit. I found myself reflecting on raising my children, a blend of biological, step and inherited nephews and a niece, and realizing I may have placed a “few bricks” around my own heart.
Thank you, Ms. Atwell for walking through your journey with such courage that you are able to share it with the world.
I loved this book and can hardly wait for it to come out so all my friends can read it too!
Thank you, Ms. Atwell for walking through your journey with such courage that you are able to share it with the world. I loved this book and can hardly wait for it to come out so all my friends can read it too!
May 28, 2017
I just finished reading Loving Lindsey by Linda Atwell and I found it very well written and I wanted to continue reading every spare moment to see what happens. I finished it in two and a half days. I would happily recommend this book to friends and family. It would be a helpful book for mothers raising daughters, even if they do not have a disability. It brought out emotions and I learned something from the story. It really is a warning of the dangers that lurk, even in a small town, of kids with special needs or any vulnerable child. I was given an advanced copy for an honest review and so that is what I am doing. One more thing, the message is that people don't always see the whole or real story that goes on behind closed doors of a family. This opened up my eyes as to what it is like raising a daughter with special needs. But I still think it would be a good read for any parent, whether or not their kids are like Lindsey.
June 16, 2017
Loving Lindsey: Every Parent’s Nightmare
A suspenseful heart-wrenching tale of broken dreams and incredible burdens, Loving Lindsey is a first-hand account of raising a neurologically-damaged child with diminished emotional and intellectual capacity who will never be a fully-functioning adult.
Notwithstanding the grim prediction of her doctor that a group home was in Lindsey’s future, Atwell determines to do everything possible to enable her daughter to live independently. At this she succeeds brilliantly, only to be faced with a far more insidious challenge: What can be done to rescue an attractive young woman from the control of an eccentric and questionable man 20 years her senior?
This harrowing journey—a page-turner that’s every parent’s nightmare— will stay with you long after you have put down the book. Highly recommended.
Barbara Donsky, award-winning author of Veronica’s Grave: A Daughter’s Memoir (Canadian version: Missing Mother).
A suspenseful heart-wrenching tale of broken dreams and incredible burdens, Loving Lindsey is a first-hand account of raising a neurologically-damaged child with diminished emotional and intellectual capacity who will never be a fully-functioning adult.
Notwithstanding the grim prediction of her doctor that a group home was in Lindsey’s future, Atwell determines to do everything possible to enable her daughter to live independently. At this she succeeds brilliantly, only to be faced with a far more insidious challenge: What can be done to rescue an attractive young woman from the control of an eccentric and questionable man 20 years her senior?
This harrowing journey—a page-turner that’s every parent’s nightmare— will stay with you long after you have put down the book. Highly recommended.
Barbara Donsky, award-winning author of Veronica’s Grave: A Daughter’s Memoir (Canadian version: Missing Mother).
June 19, 2017
I was lucky to read an ARC of Loving Lindsey and loved it. Atwell does an incredible job of writing about the frustration and joy of raising a daughter who at times is almost toddler-sweet, and at others, conniving and maddening.
Every parent will laugh, cry, and relate to the pride and trials of child-rearing. Those with children who have special needs will want to personally thank Atwell for her candor and perseverance. Those with typical children will want to do the same, and will also gain new empathy for those of us raising kids who have atypical challenges. Really, it's a story about a mother's love and how she never gave up, even during the scariest moments of living with her daughter's decisions.
I highly recommend this book for every parent. Scratch that. For every HUMAN.
Every parent will laugh, cry, and relate to the pride and trials of child-rearing. Those with children who have special needs will want to personally thank Atwell for her candor and perseverance. Those with typical children will want to do the same, and will also gain new empathy for those of us raising kids who have atypical challenges. Really, it's a story about a mother's love and how she never gave up, even during the scariest moments of living with her daughter's decisions.
I highly recommend this book for every parent. Scratch that. For every HUMAN.
June 16, 2017
Loving Lindsay--A Mother-Daughter Dance
The reader gets to see this family in a world we don't usually get to share--the difficulties of raising a teenage daughter compounded by the difficulties of developmental disability. Told with clear-eyed empathy for her daughter and the other members of her family, Atwell's memoir is unflinchingly brave and honest, allowing us to drop midstream into this remarkable family's life. But most of all, this is a story about unconditional love and the lengths we will go to find it, hold on to it, and cherish it.
Diana Y. Paul, author of Things Unsaid
The reader gets to see this family in a world we don't usually get to share--the difficulties of raising a teenage daughter compounded by the difficulties of developmental disability. Told with clear-eyed empathy for her daughter and the other members of her family, Atwell's memoir is unflinchingly brave and honest, allowing us to drop midstream into this remarkable family's life. But most of all, this is a story about unconditional love and the lengths we will go to find it, hold on to it, and cherish it.
Diana Y. Paul, author of Things Unsaid
December 5, 2017
Loving Lindsey is a fabulous book. The superb writing and compelling story drew me in from the first page. On the one hand I didn't want to put it down, but on the other I didn't want it to end. I read the last few chapters in one evening/night. I didn't go to sleep until I finished it, at 3:00am! I want to read more from this author.
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