Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

by Abbie Johnson Taylor

Paperback

Published October 4, 2021

About the author

Abbie Johnson Taylor is the author of three novels, two poetry collections, and a memoir. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various journals and anthologies. She is visually impaired and lives in Sheridan, Wyoming, where for six years, she cared for her late husband, who was totally blind and partially paralyzed by two strokes soon after they were married.
Before that, she spent fifteen years as a registered music therapist, working in nursing homes and other facilities that serve senior citizens. She also taught Braille, facilitated a support group for the visually impaired, and served on the advisory board to a trust fund that allows people with blindness or low vision to purchase adaptive equipment. Please visit her website at https://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com

Reviews

[Linda Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engaging family story that evoked both tears and laughter for me. The story begins with a grandmother revealing a family secret to her eldest granddaughter. The protagonist, sixteen-year-old Natalie, is unable to keep the secret to herself. Subsequently the secret changes not only her own self-worth, but also the dynamics of the entire family. Natalie, her younger sister, their parents and grandparents are all sympathetic characters and each one is transformed by the events that occur between one Halloween and the following Christmas.

The author is skilled at telling the story using multiple narrators. They all pulled at my heartstrings as I read and witnessed their struggles and triumphs. The story depicts the support elder family members can provide to younger generations. I liked the underlying message of the book that a family secret can have both negative and positive consequences and that telling the truth gives the opportunity for healing and redemption.