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A Chicken in the Wind and How He Grew: Stories from an ADHD Dad
ASIN B078856VRV has been moved to this edition.
Frank South wrote these stories during eight unusually tumultuous years in his family’s life. There’s not much advice in here, but there is honest testimony from inside the storm.
Think about it. If every day of your life you wake up already engulfed in a roaring flood of urgent but completely confused and unrelated information hitting you non-stop, all at once, all the time, then the crushing cascade of events in a family crisis or any other calamity shouldn’t be overwhelming I it should feel like old home week. If only.
Frank South wrote these stories during eight unusually tumultuous years in his family’s life. There’s not much advice in here, but there is honest testimony from inside the storm.
Think about it. If every day of your life you wake up already engulfed in a roaring flood of urgent but completely confused and unrelated information hitting you non-stop, all at once, all the time, then the crushing cascade of events in a family crisis or any other calamity shouldn’t be overwhelming I it should feel like old home week. If only.
259 pages, ebook
Published January 8, 2018
14 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 4, 2018
GNAB Prior to reading this collection of essays by Frank South, I thought of ADHD and ADD in relation to children. A big problem facing our society certainly, with the education system hardly keeping up with the needs of these children, but a relatively new phenomenon in American society and one we had time to sort out. Not. I am grateful for the wake-up call this book brought to me, and for the tips and shortcuts brought to light when faced with handling your own or another's meltdowns. I didn't even understand the realities concerning the spectrum faced by afflicted children and their educators, much less society as a whole. Thank you Frank South and Rattlesnake Publishing for bring us this heads-up.
I received a free electronic copy of this collection of essays from Netgalley, Frank South, and Rattlesnake Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Jan 4, 2018
rec Jan 16, 2018
Rattlesnake Publishing
I received a free electronic copy of this collection of essays from Netgalley, Frank South, and Rattlesnake Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Jan 4, 2018
rec Jan 16, 2018
Rattlesnake Publishing
January 19, 2018
Now and then a book comes along that blows the lid off some part of life's complexity. You come to the last page reluctantly, wanting to remain in that space a bit longer. A Chicken in the Wind is such a book. I'm always on the lookout for them, but they are (sorry, I can't help but say it) scarcer than hen's teeth.
Life does not come with guarantees of ease. Under any circumstances, it dishes out challenges that throw us for a loop. People with serious mental health challenges are thrown for more than a loop. It doesn't help to live in a culture that views those challenges as personal failings that just might be contagious.
Frank's issues shook him like rocks in a tumbler. Instead of smoothing his rough spots, they left him scarred. By the time his wife and two children sat him down and insisted he stop drinking, he was in a precarious state that was undermining him professionally and personally.
Knowing what's behind all the upheavals can help us cope with them. For Frank it was ADHD, along with some nasty partners, like hypomania and depression. With no easy cures in sight, Frank still had some powerful tools to work with. They included his wife Margaret and his two children (both diagnosed with ADHD). They also included his considerable talents as a writer.
A Chicken in the Wind takes us on a harrowing journey. From the beginning we know we are in sure hands. Though nothing about the story is easy, it is laced with humor and candor. Frank is clear-eyed about the impact of his challenges on everyone around him. What he has to learn is compassion for himself. As he writes, "I think we need to forgive others their slights and slips as much as possible. But more importantly, we have to learn to forgive ourselves and, maybe with some help from others, work on adjusting how we handle things."
Self-compassion is hard won. Writing helps. "Maybe if I write more, I’ll lash out at others less. That would be a bonus. Thing is, there are no guarantees when you start pounding out honest words. Honesty, like public nudity, is not for everybody."
It is as tempting to define someone by their mental health challenges as it is to wrap stereotypes around each other. But that misses a key point Frank describes repeatedly through the candid stories he tells: "[W]hat we’re talking about is meaningful connection between people. The challenge facing family, friends, and caregivers of those with any type of disability or chronic ailment is to keep the whole person center stage -- the rest is secondary. The problems, strategies, and medications are important, sure, but the human being comes first."
Laughs abound in the book. So do tears. One page I'm laughing as Frank's hypomania kicks in when he's stopped by the police. And then I'm crying when I read of the castle his father built him.
Emotions are right out front in this book. So is insight. Read it for the first-rate storytelling, for what you'll learn about ADHD and other mental health challenges, and for the love that runs through it.
Life does not come with guarantees of ease. Under any circumstances, it dishes out challenges that throw us for a loop. People with serious mental health challenges are thrown for more than a loop. It doesn't help to live in a culture that views those challenges as personal failings that just might be contagious.
Frank's issues shook him like rocks in a tumbler. Instead of smoothing his rough spots, they left him scarred. By the time his wife and two children sat him down and insisted he stop drinking, he was in a precarious state that was undermining him professionally and personally.
Knowing what's behind all the upheavals can help us cope with them. For Frank it was ADHD, along with some nasty partners, like hypomania and depression. With no easy cures in sight, Frank still had some powerful tools to work with. They included his wife Margaret and his two children (both diagnosed with ADHD). They also included his considerable talents as a writer.
A Chicken in the Wind takes us on a harrowing journey. From the beginning we know we are in sure hands. Though nothing about the story is easy, it is laced with humor and candor. Frank is clear-eyed about the impact of his challenges on everyone around him. What he has to learn is compassion for himself. As he writes, "I think we need to forgive others their slights and slips as much as possible. But more importantly, we have to learn to forgive ourselves and, maybe with some help from others, work on adjusting how we handle things."
Self-compassion is hard won. Writing helps. "Maybe if I write more, I’ll lash out at others less. That would be a bonus. Thing is, there are no guarantees when you start pounding out honest words. Honesty, like public nudity, is not for everybody."
It is as tempting to define someone by their mental health challenges as it is to wrap stereotypes around each other. But that misses a key point Frank describes repeatedly through the candid stories he tells: "[W]hat we’re talking about is meaningful connection between people. The challenge facing family, friends, and caregivers of those with any type of disability or chronic ailment is to keep the whole person center stage -- the rest is secondary. The problems, strategies, and medications are important, sure, but the human being comes first."
Laughs abound in the book. So do tears. One page I'm laughing as Frank's hypomania kicks in when he's stopped by the police. And then I'm crying when I read of the castle his father built him.
Emotions are right out front in this book. So is insight. Read it for the first-rate storytelling, for what you'll learn about ADHD and other mental health challenges, and for the love that runs through it.
May 30, 2018
Amazing ADHD Dad
I've read articles and books on this subject before reading Frank's book. Frank's different. I laughed. I cried and felt what Frank felt. So touching. They are made for each other. I love these people. Some families don't survive with one ADHD member but these members ALL work to help each other.
I've read articles and books on this subject before reading Frank's book. Frank's different. I laughed. I cried and felt what Frank felt. So touching. They are made for each other. I love these people. Some families don't survive with one ADHD member but these members ALL work to help each other.
October 27, 2019
After finishing Mr. South’s stories I now consider this one of my all time favorite reads. His words connected with me in a way that helped me feel I’m not alone and that I am human... and it’s ok to not be ok. I will be forever grateful to have these words to look upon during the darkness. I can’t say Thank You enough for sharing your stories with the world. They truly are an inspiration!
Below are my thoughts I posted while I was still reading A Chicken in the Wind and How he Grew.
I’ve been reading this book for a while now. I’ve been pacing myself. It tugs at my heart strings and levels the craziness in my head. I haven’t finished it yet but I will strongly stand behind saying this is a must read. It’s helped me through some hard times. That’s why I’ve been pacing myself. Saving for those days that are unbearable and seem like the world is crashing in on me. It’s been a rough week and so I’ll probably finish it sooner than I originally planned...but I know this is a book I will cherish forever and be able to pick up and read again and again when those moments come slamming in. Thank you Frank South for your words. They mean a lot to me.
Below are my thoughts I posted while I was still reading A Chicken in the Wind and How he Grew.
I’ve been reading this book for a while now. I’ve been pacing myself. It tugs at my heart strings and levels the craziness in my head. I haven’t finished it yet but I will strongly stand behind saying this is a must read. It’s helped me through some hard times. That’s why I’ve been pacing myself. Saving for those days that are unbearable and seem like the world is crashing in on me. It’s been a rough week and so I’ll probably finish it sooner than I originally planned...but I know this is a book I will cherish forever and be able to pick up and read again and again when those moments come slamming in. Thank you Frank South for your words. They mean a lot to me.
May 3, 2018
A very entertaining and inspirational memoir.
This memoir is a very eye-opener to me about people with ADHD: what challenges they face from inside their own self and other people, how they cope with it, how their feelings are, and many others.
Though I found it difficult to keep track of time, the writing style is not difficult to follow. With some funny as well as stressing moments, the memoir is not only entertaining, but also teach us the importance of love in a family and how not to give up for every challenge we face. As I turned every page, I kept waiting and asking what other 'crazy' stories this book has for me.
**I voluntarily read and review a free copy of this book provided by the author via NetGalley.**
This memoir is a very eye-opener to me about people with ADHD: what challenges they face from inside their own self and other people, how they cope with it, how their feelings are, and many others.
Though I found it difficult to keep track of time, the writing style is not difficult to follow. With some funny as well as stressing moments, the memoir is not only entertaining, but also teach us the importance of love in a family and how not to give up for every challenge we face. As I turned every page, I kept waiting and asking what other 'crazy' stories this book has for me.
**I voluntarily read and review a free copy of this book provided by the author via NetGalley.**
August 18, 2019
I found this book to be an eye-opener and it showed my complete ignorance of people with ADHD as for years I like many people made the comment "that ADHD and it's like meant adult disciplinary deficiency". How wrong I was! I commend Frank very highly as to his insight and understanding of both his problem and his daughters and found it very amusing in some aspects where they could read each other's mind and know what each were thinking and feeling. Thanks very much for allowing me into your life and giving me a greater understanding of other people's problems - they make my problems in life - small in comparison. All the Best to you and yours (From Tez)
June 19, 2018
DNF. I made it ~20% of the way through, could relate to a few of the things Frank wrote, but ultimately had trouble following each essay. Topics bounced around too much with little to no transition, and there was a total lack of detail in the storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews