More-of-the-same sequel to last year's best-selling Motherless Daughters. In truth, this book is not quite the same. It contains more letters from motherless daughters but less of the research and thoughtful discussion that gave Edelman's earlier book a somewhat substantive underpinning. The book moves through stages of loss, starting with letters from teenagers who lost their mothers only a few months earlier and moving on to women whose mothers have been dead nearly 80 years. As Edelman relates it, one criticism leveled at the first book was that it tended to present women as victims. Not so, she retorts. These are ``survivors...who have experienced the most profound loss a child can imagine'' and choose to share their stories with others. Well, yes and no. As Edelman herself has pointed out, a daughter's view of her mother is muddled at best, a mix of fairy godmother and wicked stepmother. Moreover, a child's ability to heal following a mother's death seems tied to a number of factors, including, of course, the father's role and the opportunity to vent their feelings, including anger, guilt, sorrow, and fear. Many of the women whose letters are printed in this volume seem to have serious holes in that scenario, most often with fathers who enlisted them as housekeepers or little mothers of younger siblings, or who were simply too grief-stricken or confused to be a parent. Often, the correspondents complain that, without a mother, they have had no one to teach them social graces. Edelman concludes by encouraging support groups for motherless daughters. The value of these groups often lies in the relief of recognition that even at age 50, you are not the only one who wants to cry, ``Mommy, I'm scared.'' After that, it's easy for longing to deteriorate into self- pity. The letters, particularly from young women whose grief is still raw, are often touching; for the others, the reader is tempted to murmur, ``Get a life.''
Pub Date: May 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-201-48357-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1995
An unstartling assessment of the nature and value of creativity in a society that strives—consciously and subconsciously—to squelch it. Sternberg (Psychology and Education/Yale Univ.; Love the Way You Want It, 1991, etc.) and researcher Lubart make a case for how the creative person can ``buy low and sell high'': With determination and foresight, they contend, one can develop an unpopular concept that, in time, can become both fashionable and profitable. If creative people are to succeed, despite the often strong odds, they must have the confidence to fight for what they believe in. Sternberg and Lubart illustrate how the corporate world commonly ``rewards'' the creative person with a dismissal for not ``fitting in,'' rather than giving him or her ``a promotion or bonus for having a creative idea.'' Highly critical of the current testing and educational systems, the authors propose that students be evaluated by portfolios that demonstrate their unique abilities rather than by tests that measure rote learning. They maintain that current I.Q. tests do not gauge creativity, and creative youngsters are often not valued by their teachers and institutions of learning. Moreover, as students progress through school, their creativity is stifled. Sternberg and Lubart suggest that teachers conduct their classes informally and allow students choose their own topics to investigate—preferably topics requiring interaction with minds outside the classroom. The authors champion nonconformity in the sciences and business as well, contending that creative, risk-taking people succeed in finance since they are ``self-actualizers: They want to make the most of themselves that they possibly can.'' The authors are afraid that they ``may seem more like storytellers than scientists.'' Ironically, however, for a book on creativity, there is precious little here that is original.
Pub Date: March 22, 1995
ISBN: 0-02-931475-5
Page Count: 316
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A moving, unvarnished look at living with autism and a helpful guide to action.
In this emotionally charged memoir, Hall tells the story of her first 15 years with her severely autistic son.
The author was a successful acting coach for children in feature films and television. In her mid-30s, intensely spiritual with strong ties to her Jewish religion, she also felt the pull of motherhood. When that didn’t pan out, she and her husband adopted a two-year-old boy from a Russian orphanage. When Neal started to display autistic behavior, and Hall moved past her denial, she had the good fortune of hooking up with a doctor who counseled loving engagement with Neal—not to control, but to seek understanding—something that struck a familiar note from her professional work. Here she details the process of broaching Neal’s protective sequestration. She has gainful experience—even wisdom—to impart, as well as the engrossing tales of the intense realities of living with an autistic child, including the constant search for caretakers who appreciate “that the seemingly bizarre behaviors of autism have meaning and purpose.” Hall excels in capturing the piquancy of the Russian orphanage, the explosiveness of Neal’s caustic tantrums and, most impressively, getting readers into her son’s head to recognize the profound mental energy involved in organizing each little step of activity and the excruciating pain that attends sensory sensitivity. Answering a felt need for community, she started The Miracle Project, which brings autistics and their families together in a safe, dynamic environment to foster creativity through the theater arts.
A moving, unvarnished look at living with autism and a helpful guide to action.Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-174380-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Neal Porter/Flash Point/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2010
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