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The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance
Joan Ryan tells the powerful story of how her son’s near-fatal accident, and his struggle to become whole again, gave her a second chance to become the mother she had always wished she could be. • Acclaimed journalist and Joan Ryan’s sports columns earned her thirteen Associated Press Sports editors Awards, the National Headliner Award, and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Journalism Award, among other honors. Her first book, Little Girls in Pretty The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters was named one of the Top 100 Sports Books of all Time by Sports Illustrated. • Medical When Ryan’s sixteen-year-old son fell off of a skateboard, it wasn’t obvious at first how serious his injuries were. With a journalist’s eye for the telling detail and the rhythms of a natural storyteller, she captures his medical ordeal as he lurches from crisis to crisis—and with harrowing honesty and astonishing insight, relates her own journey through unknown emotional terrain. • A mother’s Ryan’s son was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction as a toddler; by the time he reached school age, it was clear that he suffered from ADHD and other learning disabilities. Though she loved him fiercely, she never stopped trying to fix him. When he is restored to her after his accident, she realizes she has the opportunity to be his mother all over again—only this time she lets go of the illusion of control. Now she not only accepts, but also embraces her son for who he really is.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
November 13, 2009
Ms. Ryan's story of finding her ability to mother her son Ryan after a head trauma is nothing short of brilliant. Ryan, a son with challenging issues of ADHD and SPD, had brought out the "solving" person in Ms. Ryan. Her descriptions of trying to learn how to be a mother to her son had me in tears because they mimic my own turmoil of how I have been with my own son (currently 4 yo) with SPD issues. After Ryan's accident, Ms. Ryan finally let go of making her son into something which she and others would find acceptable. As she described it in a subsequent interview, her son was born a redwood and no amount of pruning or carving would make him into a maple tree.
April 1, 2010
As a mother of an adopted son who struggles with attachment disorder, I felt such a kinship. My favorite quote: "Motherhood is about raising- and celebrating-the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be; And that, if you are lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be."
February 24, 2018
Quick read. This book details her son's journey through an accident that caused significant brain injury and the recovery. I really wish there was more in her head but it was a good book. Its also a bery sad book. As I hoped for, I gained perspective on my special needs son and being a parent of a special needs child. The main take away was, Im so glad my son is not in that situation. Definitely worth reading just not my favorite book.
My favorite quote (possibly ever) comes from this book: "Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be."
My favorite quote (possibly ever) comes from this book: "Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be."
April 22, 2018
This wasn’t necessarily the best written or most profound book I’ve read. But the story hits so close to home - I could’ve written most of these same words about our journey with our daughter and her head injury - I had to give it 5 stars. There were so many similarities - perhaps just the very nature of the injury causes the same symptoms in many patients - but at the same time our stories are so very different. Writing is such a wonderful way for a mother to process all that has happened to her child. And there is a bit of necessity in keeping track of it all and wanting to share the journey with others. My heart goes out to you, Joan Ryan, and to your son and family. I’m so thankful I found this book tucked away in our public library at just the right time.
June 27, 2020
This book provides a wonderful example of going through tragedy and making meaning from it. (As in Viktor Frankl's logotherapy.) Journalist Joan Ryan recounts the story of son Ryan's* TBI (traumatic brain injury) while skateboarding, and its grueling aftermath.
"For all we have been through, there is so little I know for certain except for maybe this: Motherhood is about raising - and celebrating- the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be. "
*Note - it is not a typo that Ryan's first name is the same as his mother's last name!
"For all we have been through, there is so little I know for certain except for maybe this: Motherhood is about raising - and celebrating- the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be. "
*Note - it is not a typo that Ryan's first name is the same as his mother's last name!
September 22, 2009
Amazing insight into what it means to be a mother, she holds no punches when describing her own short comings. It is also a very real account of what happens when the brain is injured and the world of medicine takes over.
December 30, 2012
Really enjoyed this touching story... But must admit that I tend to enjoy any novel that involves the medical field
February 13, 2022
I loved this book so much, and it was also pure torture. I will definitely read it again, but I had to pause to cry between chapters, so maybe no time soon. It really felt like it was two books: a medical mystery/drama, and a parenting/self-discovery journey. Truly, I'm here for both, and even though it was less than 300 pages, both delivered. Joan Ryan is a beautiful writer. I found her language to be easy and yet smart, and I loved her voice and self-awareness throughout this book. She makes me want to be a better writer.
The many descriptions of medical procedures, like removing a PICC line and comparing it to a tapeworm, were so identical to my own experience that I found myself reliving a little too much of my own past nightmare. The list of meds, from ativan to vancomycin, was dizzyingly familiar. Seeing a glimpse of what I must have looked like by placing myself in Ryan's shoes was unexpected, and yet not unwelcome. Noticing, quite viscerally, that my experience was very different from his because no one had been at my bedside to love me the way that only a mother could, well, that was both unexpected and unwelcome.
As a mom, there was so much for me as well. The closing words may be the best description I can ever remember hearing of the essential task of motherhood. "Motherhood is about raising--and celebrating--the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be." None of my children is what I expected them to be. I am so grateful for that, because they are more magical than I could have imagined (and I still fancy myself a bit of a creative type). They make me a better person, just like Ryan did for Joan.
This book was profoundly sad, but it also felt like pure, joyful deja vu. Perhaps because I remember reading Joan's columns in The Chronicle growing up, and so her written voice was a familiar one. Maybe it was because the action in Marin and all through the Bay were like a quick trip back to my hometown. Even the quick aside about the student from UC Davis brought me back to my younger years. It's strange that a book so ostensibly depressing managed to feel completely uplifting, and yet it did. I'll come back to this one, I'm sure.
The many descriptions of medical procedures, like removing a PICC line and comparing it to a tapeworm, were so identical to my own experience that I found myself reliving a little too much of my own past nightmare. The list of meds, from ativan to vancomycin, was dizzyingly familiar. Seeing a glimpse of what I must have looked like by placing myself in Ryan's shoes was unexpected, and yet not unwelcome. Noticing, quite viscerally, that my experience was very different from his because no one had been at my bedside to love me the way that only a mother could, well, that was both unexpected and unwelcome.
As a mom, there was so much for me as well. The closing words may be the best description I can ever remember hearing of the essential task of motherhood. "Motherhood is about raising--and celebrating--the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be." None of my children is what I expected them to be. I am so grateful for that, because they are more magical than I could have imagined (and I still fancy myself a bit of a creative type). They make me a better person, just like Ryan did for Joan.
This book was profoundly sad, but it also felt like pure, joyful deja vu. Perhaps because I remember reading Joan's columns in The Chronicle growing up, and so her written voice was a familiar one. Maybe it was because the action in Marin and all through the Bay were like a quick trip back to my hometown. Even the quick aside about the student from UC Davis brought me back to my younger years. It's strange that a book so ostensibly depressing managed to feel completely uplifting, and yet it did. I'll come back to this one, I'm sure.
January 8, 2022
Compulsively readable tale of a sportswriter's struggles with her son's recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Ryan is honest about her struggles to mother a child, adopted at birth, who often acted impulsively. Ryan (son's first name same as author's last name) was later diagnosed with ADD and learning disabilities. He is also affectionate, funny, and articulate, a kid who loves antiques, tools, and cars. However, the author is honest about her imperfections as a parent early on, when she was frustrated with Ryan's often difficult behavior. Paradoxically, it was after his traumatic brain injury from a skateboarding accident at age 16 that the author gave herself completely to mothering him and accepting him unconditionally for who he is and what he is capable of. Each step and word is celebrated as he emerges from his coma and injury, just as one celebrates those of a new baby. The relationship between mother and son is renewed and strengthened as Ryan heals.
I was moved by the passages in which the author reveals what her brother Bobby went through with birth defects and difficult behavior that often alienated him from others. When Bobby was diagnosed with terminal cancer, people suddenly rallied around him with the kind of attention and care he had craved all his life. Similarly, Ryan's injury brought out the best behavior from his friends and family. He was no longer the difficult kid, but the resilient champion who had survived against incredible odds.
Another revelation is that no matter how bad you have it, someone else has it worse. Ryan's parents were grateful for his recovery, which included heartbreaking setbacks, because they saw other children with worse injuries and outcomes.
This book is well-written, as one would expect from a professional journalist. There is a short "afterward" written by Ryan himself.
I was moved by the passages in which the author reveals what her brother Bobby went through with birth defects and difficult behavior that often alienated him from others. When Bobby was diagnosed with terminal cancer, people suddenly rallied around him with the kind of attention and care he had craved all his life. Similarly, Ryan's injury brought out the best behavior from his friends and family. He was no longer the difficult kid, but the resilient champion who had survived against incredible odds.
Another revelation is that no matter how bad you have it, someone else has it worse. Ryan's parents were grateful for his recovery, which included heartbreaking setbacks, because they saw other children with worse injuries and outcomes.
This book is well-written, as one would expect from a professional journalist. There is a short "afterward" written by Ryan himself.
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December 1, 2024Powerfully redemptive story reminding us to love the children we have rather than how we want/imagine them to be. Made me tear up a few times and hug my girls extra tight in gratitude for their health.
March 8, 2018
This book is available on book share.
February 27, 2019
Relatable
October 22, 2014
When she is first called to the hospital, acclaimed sports columnist and author Joan Ryan is convinced that her son's skateboarding accident would only require several stitches for him and a wasted afternoon for her. Sixteen-year-old Ryan Tompkins had fallen off his skateboard, and it wasn't immediately obvious just how serious his injuries actually were. Despite having various cuts and scratches and complaining that his head hurt, Ryan seemed fine; indeed, he seemed slightly annoyed to be going to hospital by ambulance. In this moving and extremely powerful memoir, Joan Ryan retraces the tumultuous and complicated relationship that delivers mother and son to this moment when, through his brush with death and his painful rehabilitation, they are challenged to redefine who they are and what they mean to each other.
For most of his sixteen years, Ryan hadn't been easy to parent. He lurched from one setback to another, struggling to overcome learning disabilities and ADHD. Joan's grim determination to solve the puzzle of her son's odd and often defiant behavior left her confounded and exasperated. She became so controlling and judgmental, so focused on trying to fix what was wrong with him, that she became more of Ryan's relentless reformer than his loving mother.
By the time Ryan arrived at the hospital, it became apparent that he was suffering from a traumatic brain injury, and the doctors weren't sure if he would even survive. The expectation of a wasted afternoon soon became the furthest worry from Joan Ryan's mind. Instead she spends months rather than hours with her son in the hospital and in rehab, watching him fight to survive his injury and to reclaim a small measure of his life.
When her son wakes from his coma, Joan gets a second chance at motherhood. She rejoices at his first word, his first step, his first spoonful of food, his first attempt to write. She gets the chance to be Ryan's mother all over again and for the first time recognizes what an amazing, heroic young man he is. The Water Giver is the universal story of a mother coming to terms with her own limitations and learning that the best way to help her child is simply to love him.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be poignant, well-written, moving and lovingly honest; a comprehensive account of a family dealing with a child's traumatic brain injury. The story didn't dwell too much on Ryan's challenges or portray him as someone who needed to be pitied because of his injury.
It was a very interesting book for me to read, and I could certainly understand how a traumatic brain injury not only affects - and continues to affect - the person who is injured, but also their entire family. I give The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance by Joan Ryan an A+!
For most of his sixteen years, Ryan hadn't been easy to parent. He lurched from one setback to another, struggling to overcome learning disabilities and ADHD. Joan's grim determination to solve the puzzle of her son's odd and often defiant behavior left her confounded and exasperated. She became so controlling and judgmental, so focused on trying to fix what was wrong with him, that she became more of Ryan's relentless reformer than his loving mother.
By the time Ryan arrived at the hospital, it became apparent that he was suffering from a traumatic brain injury, and the doctors weren't sure if he would even survive. The expectation of a wasted afternoon soon became the furthest worry from Joan Ryan's mind. Instead she spends months rather than hours with her son in the hospital and in rehab, watching him fight to survive his injury and to reclaim a small measure of his life.
When her son wakes from his coma, Joan gets a second chance at motherhood. She rejoices at his first word, his first step, his first spoonful of food, his first attempt to write. She gets the chance to be Ryan's mother all over again and for the first time recognizes what an amazing, heroic young man he is. The Water Giver is the universal story of a mother coming to terms with her own limitations and learning that the best way to help her child is simply to love him.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be poignant, well-written, moving and lovingly honest; a comprehensive account of a family dealing with a child's traumatic brain injury. The story didn't dwell too much on Ryan's challenges or portray him as someone who needed to be pitied because of his injury.
It was a very interesting book for me to read, and I could certainly understand how a traumatic brain injury not only affects - and continues to affect - the person who is injured, but also their entire family. I give The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance by Joan Ryan an A+!
January 22, 2010
This book was an intense read. It was possibly the most honest account of a parent that I have ever read. Ms. Ryan has my respect as she is able to say, without the guilt most parents cloak themselves with, that she is not a perfect mother. She has her faults and regrets and although she was not the lovey-dovey mom for Ryan in his childhood, she is relishing it now.
As a mom, I have had my days where I know I did not give my best to my son. I go to bed feeling guilty for saying, "hold on, sweetie, mama will play in a minute" when that minute only gets farther and father away. Then, when he is asleep I sit and watch him, tears running down my cheeks, asking myself why I asked him to wait instead of the laundry/papers to grade/dishes/the phone/the million other things. This book made me realize that we all have our days when we are less than perfect for our children.
Unfortunately, Ms. Ryan is given a second chance at being the type of mom we all strive to be. When her son has a skateboarding accident, his life and hers changes forever. The journey they both begin is amazing. They come through it together and by the end, the difference in their relationship is remarkable. I only hope that they stay that way, too often something changes our lives but we end up slowly going back the way we came and the changes begin to melt away leaving our old selves exposed again.
All-in-all, a great book. Enjoy!
As a mom, I have had my days where I know I did not give my best to my son. I go to bed feeling guilty for saying, "hold on, sweetie, mama will play in a minute" when that minute only gets farther and father away. Then, when he is asleep I sit and watch him, tears running down my cheeks, asking myself why I asked him to wait instead of the laundry/papers to grade/dishes/the phone/the million other things. This book made me realize that we all have our days when we are less than perfect for our children.
Unfortunately, Ms. Ryan is given a second chance at being the type of mom we all strive to be. When her son has a skateboarding accident, his life and hers changes forever. The journey they both begin is amazing. They come through it together and by the end, the difference in their relationship is remarkable. I only hope that they stay that way, too often something changes our lives but we end up slowly going back the way we came and the changes begin to melt away leaving our old selves exposed again.
All-in-all, a great book. Enjoy!
September 26, 2009
I thought I might have a hard time reading this, because I have a son, also an only child. I started reading and literally couldn't stop. Ms. Ryan recounted the story of her son's accident and recovery in such a concise and lack of drama manner that it really was easy to read. Perhaps because she is a reporter, and knows how to write about very emotional subjects, or perhaps because I knew from the book jacket that Ryan did recover from his accident, the book just roped me in without wringing me out. The story of Ryan's accident and journey to recovery is a great story in itself. Ms. Ryan's own journey as a mother is equally inspirational. I think any mother who reads this book will be able to identify with Ms. Ryan, and even feel relief to find their own feelings about their children so eloquently expressed. We all have such doubts about our ability to parent well, and our children's ability to fit in and be happy. Ms. Ryan's attitude really makes this a wonderful book - her belief that Ryan's accident "reset" her relationship with her son shines. Read this book - you will be glad you did!
November 14, 2014
I read this just as I headed across country with my son who was attempting to pick up the pieces of his life at college after a TBI. So much of this book resonated with me, almost more the parenting reflections than the brain injury issues: the opportunity to recraft my relationship with my son. Ryan, a journalist, captured my experience in so many ways but also, with hope and humor, the excruciating day by day drama of recovery. Because she is a journalist, this title is large step up from many of the journal / memoirs written about the TBI experience giving insite and research that isn't often found in similar titles.
I later used this book as I was preparing for a patient/family advisory board meeting at my son's hospital and for a guide for trauma patients: Joan Ryan's observations and challenges were helpful in getting a perspective outside my own.
We are at the point now that I wish there were a sequel to walk me through the long term recovery (I note that son Ryan's has taken a few detours).
I later used this book as I was preparing for a patient/family advisory board meeting at my son's hospital and for a guide for trauma patients: Joan Ryan's observations and challenges were helpful in getting a perspective outside my own.
We are at the point now that I wish there were a sequel to walk me through the long term recovery (I note that son Ryan's has taken a few detours).
November 14, 2014
What sets this memoir apart from the host of journals published by caregivers of traumatic brain injury survivors is Ryan's writing (a newspaper journalist and published author (Sports Illustrated named Little Girls in Pretty Boxes one of the Top 100 Sports Books of All Time) AND that this book shares that there is an opportunity, when every parent's nightmare occurs, to get a second chance in their relationship with their child.
For those who are trying to understand just what happens / will happen / could have happened after a loved one sustained a brain injury, Ryan takes you through the day by day agony of the TBI cha cha (two steps forward, one step back) with humor and empathy. This is not a "they lived happily ever after" story but it is a "they lived" story. In a different, in some ways better, way.
What isn't shared in the book is what happens after all the acute rehabilitation occurs and the survivor heads back into the world (See "Over My Head")-- I would like a sequel.
For those who are trying to understand just what happens / will happen / could have happened after a loved one sustained a brain injury, Ryan takes you through the day by day agony of the TBI cha cha (two steps forward, one step back) with humor and empathy. This is not a "they lived happily ever after" story but it is a "they lived" story. In a different, in some ways better, way.
What isn't shared in the book is what happens after all the acute rehabilitation occurs and the survivor heads back into the world (See "Over My Head")-- I would like a sequel.
May 22, 2015
This book is a mother's perspective an story on how she and others experienced her son Ryan fighting to survive a traumatic and fatal brain injury. Even after ups and downs emotionally and physically for both of them, she never gave up and kept her head up, reassuring herself her only son would get better. Finally, she gets a second chance, a shot at redemption, to be a better mother, while learning new things about her boy.
I really enjoyed the story and how it moved me in a special way, and I especially liked Ryan's post-accident humorous actions and comments, and how there was always a special connection between the two. I think the mother learned even more about herself, Ryan, and her family, even more than himself, from the adversity and experience. I stayed up reading this book, and could not put it down until my parents caught me reading when I was supposed to be asleep. ;-)This book is a non-stop page-turner, and I would recommend it to anyone who desires a heart-wrenching story about a mother's love for her child, and how one can discover things in new light from hardship.
I really enjoyed the story and how it moved me in a special way, and I especially liked Ryan's post-accident humorous actions and comments, and how there was always a special connection between the two. I think the mother learned even more about herself, Ryan, and her family, even more than himself, from the adversity and experience. I stayed up reading this book, and could not put it down until my parents caught me reading when I was supposed to be asleep. ;-)This book is a non-stop page-turner, and I would recommend it to anyone who desires a heart-wrenching story about a mother's love for her child, and how one can discover things in new light from hardship.
December 6, 2011
joan ryan and stephanie salter were the two writers that showed me sports could interesting. ryan's first book, "little girls in pretty boxes" should be required reading for parents thinking of putting their daughters into gymnastics, especially in light of the past month or two in colorado springs and orange county.
the water giver isn't a sports book, it is a very open account of a woman who feels she's failed as a mother, and is given a second chance when her son falls and ends up getting brain surgery.
i wonder if the other parents in the trauma centers in marin and s.f. she became friends w/would want to have read a book like this at the start of their ordeals. afterwards it would be good to know that joan, barry and ryan made it, so they could as well.
i hope to read another chapter in ten years to find out where the family is.
the water giver isn't a sports book, it is a very open account of a woman who feels she's failed as a mother, and is given a second chance when her son falls and ends up getting brain surgery.
i wonder if the other parents in the trauma centers in marin and s.f. she became friends w/would want to have read a book like this at the start of their ordeals. afterwards it would be good to know that joan, barry and ryan made it, so they could as well.
i hope to read another chapter in ten years to find out where the family is.
March 15, 2013
I just finished the book, The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance by Joan Ryan. Loved it! I've read other books about parents with special needs kids and found that, while they were good, I just couldn't finish them. I have a child with profound special needs. This is a true story of a boy with ADHD and how his mother copes with it. When he's a teenager he receives traumatic brain injury from an accident on his skateboard and it becomes a story of rebirth and acceptance.
"Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be. - Joan Ryan
"Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be. - Joan Ryan
June 28, 2011
I loved the journey this mother took with her son. A journey of motherhood and of redemption. She was very honest about herself with the good and the ugly. It is amazing what we can learn from our ugly mistakes and make it beautiful thru redemption. I also appreciated the support she had with friends and family. I would have liked to know more about her journey with the Lord. I do feel that her son was healed by the Lord and the prayers that were offered in his behalf. I also appreciated those that the family met who had head injuries. It really opened my eyes to what these families go thru and just journey they take. Ryan was very blessed to have gone thru what he did and to recover as well as he did.
January 14, 2010
This book was an arduous journey at times, as some biographies tend to be, but the overall message was one of hope and redemption for parents everywhere.
My favorite quote from the book is "Motherhood is about raising-and celebrating-the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be." - Joan Ryan, The Water Giver
My favorite quote from the book is "Motherhood is about raising-and celebrating-the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be." - Joan Ryan, The Water Giver
October 22, 2011
This is a wonderfully honest memoir that examines motherhood and the unspeakable places any of might be called to go, but most of us aren't. My favorite quote is the very last sentence of the afterword: "Motherhood is about raising- and celebrating-the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be."
October 5, 2009
Wow! Bring Kleenex. I stayed up way too late because I had to finish this book. You know the ending - he survives - but how they get there wrenches your heart. I will probably re-read this when I can be less emotional about it, just to see if I enjoy it as much, a high recommendation from me. Oh, and having it be located in Marin & SF added to it since you can picture many of places she describes. I miss having her write for the Chronicle.
December 3, 2009
A hard-to-put-down story of a nightmare brain injury accident to the teenage son of the author, Joan Ryan (former SF Chronicle columnist) and her husband, Barry Tomkins (former sports writer/commentator). Ryan writes with humor, compassion, honesty and grace about their adopted son who struggled with ADHD and learning disabilities as a young child and his roller-coaster journey to recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Riveting reading.
May 31, 2011
I really liked The Water Giver... She expresses every emotion and the real roller coaster ride of having a child in NICU. She made me laugh and sigh and cry and smile. I liked her writing and the pictures too. I loved her new view of motherhood. At the end of the book she said she finally believed in miracles but never really gave credit where credit was due. But maybe her spiritual journey is more private?
June 28, 2011
Had to read this one for my Pediatric TBI class. I liked it as a student who has studied all this already. It's nice to hear a bunch of medical talk or hear the mom describe what her son is doing and be able to understand exactly what's going on. Other than that, it was ok. Pretty much just tracks the son's progress after his TBI and his family's growth and development as well. I can see how we would read it for school, but I'm not sure I would have read it otherwise.
September 28, 2012
What a beautiful reminder of the power of family. Joan Ryan, a journalist, shares the pains and sorrows attached to the process of motherhood. Her son was challenged not only with developmental disabilities compounded by a serious accident that threatened his very life.This is a true story of gaining and keeping the proper parenting perspective grounded on true faith, wisdom and the power of love.
February 22, 2013
A terrible accident brings the author into unexpected confrontation with what she sees as the shortcomings in her well-intentioned but possibly uneven, ambivalent or ungenerous approach to motherhood up to then. (She's a little too hard on herself, but understandably so.) What follows is a beautifully written chronicle of how she works through these feelings while at the same time helping her son cope with a devastating injury. I want every parent to read it.
February 24, 2010
Excellent story - true story and told in a straightforward way that belies how traumatic it was. Any mother will be able to relate to Joan and the emotions that go with dealing their child's illness. It so reminded me of when my son was so sick - the author was able to put in words the feelings I had, but couldn't express.
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