Hazard

I was torn between giving this book 4 or 5 stars. I chose 4 since it's rare to find a truly 5-star book. Margaret Combs writes an interesting memoir of growing up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, but with the added twist of growing up with a handicapped brother. She does a fairly good job portraying family life with a child with a disability, especially in a time where there was inadequate help and an almost non-existent chance of a proper diagnosis. She goes on to write about her adult life, which is influenced by her need to escape her childhood, particularly her brother and her parents. This book is a good read. It is clear and easy to read. However, I didn't feel much of the emotions Ms. Combs felt through this life. Perhaps she didn't feel any. She does describe various feelings and reactions, but emotionally, it felt somewhat flat. I would, however, recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding what it was like to grow up in this time period with a handicapped sibling. It's a good read.

Having 2 young daughters with Autism I really wanted to read this book because I also have a teenage son who had to learn very early on to grow up quickly because he had to become his sisters’ protector in a way most kids will never understand.

I found the book to be informative, easy to read, and well written. Combs has a way of pulling you in and taking you on the journey with her so you see with her eyes, feel what she did. It’s a highly emotional and expressive look at family dynamics and the ability to survive overwhelming challenges.

Reading how far things have come within the special needs community and society at large in the decades since made me happy that even with the current imperfections it’s obvious large strides in both care and understanding have occurred.

As a parent I found it very interesting to read an adult’s point of view about what it was like to be the sibling of a special needs child because it gave me some insight in how to be there for my son more since his sisters get more of our attention and time than he does simply due to the circumstances. He is not loved less than them but as a parent you don’t necessarily realize how things appear from their point of view. I feel like this book will make me a better mother to him and maybe be able to help him in his role in their lives. I was very grateful for the opportunity to read this and gain some profound insight.