A Special Sibling
Life Lessons from my brother with Down Syndrome
by Jane Feighery
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Pub Date Nov 11 2021 | Archive Date Jul 19 2024
Description
In this uplifting reflection on the life lessons I have learned from my brother with Down Syndrome, I share insights into the beauty, simplicity, hilarity and the uncomfortable home truths I grew up absorbing thanks to my brother’s learning disability.
I challenge common perceptions of intellectual disability, and share the immense appreciation, respect, and awe I have for John’s natural way of being, reminding us that IQ is only one small part of what it means to live a happy, purposeful, and meaningful life.
John’s lessons in self-love, boundaries, presence, slowing down, and his many other simple and transformative teachings endorse the value to society of all who are neuro-diverse, or moving through life with different abilities.
There are infinite and invaluable gifts available to us when we choose curiosity over judgement, and learning over discrimination towards our fellow human beings born with an extra chromosome.
Advance Praise
Top reviews from United Kingdom
dani
5.0 out of 5 stars SPECIAL SIBLING is a beautiful little book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 December 2021
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SPECIAL SIBLING is a beautiful little book about love, devotion, tenderness, mindfulness and the realisation that the eyes through which we see the world, are not necessarily always right, other perspectives are equally valid! Very quickly, you will feel that you actually know John and you will empathise with his refreshing view on life. One learns lessons of oneself from chapter to chapter, each no more than three to four pages long. I urge you to refresh your perspective of the world in which we live!Well done Jane, a wonderful thought-provoking contribution and a truly beautiful appreciation of your lovely brother, your Saint on Earth, John!!
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Irene
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and with a very important message
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2022
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This book is written really well, the author is extremely eloquent and chooses words beautifully. Each chapter fills the reader with tenderness and smiles, while opening up the door to awareness of diversity. Sometimes people with special needs can really be more in touch with feelings and the real nature of things. Therefore, they are great teachers. I enjoyed this sweet book so much that I gave it to my sister and she absolutely loved it and enjoyed every chapter of the book. Highly recommended
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars a feel good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2022
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This an amazing read. It is beautifully and simply written. The love the author has for her brother shines through on every page and he comes across as a bit of a character. It is quite unique as she relates only about her relationship with John and makes no reference to his parents - or the challenges they may have faced-, I think this must be a first and very uplifting.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Revelatory
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 December 2021
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Jane’s concise, heartfelt and moving illustration of life with her brother John and the lessons we all can learn from this provides one of those very rare glimpses of the blindingly obvious that we all need from time to time. I thoroughly recommend this book and how it has helped me to change the way I think.
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Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781739843908 |
| PRICE | $6.35 (USD) |
| PAGES | 55 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
meghan-alice h, Reviewer
I think this was truly beautiful and unique in the way that the author only spoke of her and her brother’s relationship, and their parents and how they would have struggled was never mentioned which i think is a first.
You can tell with every page how much she loves her brother and what a personality he has!!
It was so beautifully written and clearly with so much love and respect and i just know i’ll read it again and again.
Amy S, Reviewer
A Special Sibling, written by Jane Feighery, is a book of life lessons Jane has learned from her brother John, who has Down Syndrome. This book was written for John’s 30th Birthday, and is a way to share the lessons she has learned, and celebrate her brother and all he has taught her. I know that I could benefit from many of these lessons, including the importance of self love and boundaries, and having a healthy amount of optimism and vulnerability.
I love how inclusive this book was, and how the author shares the importance of true inclusion, equality, and diversity, as well as making sure that all are welcomed. I also appreciated how the stories were shared in a positive way. I appreciate the authors understanding from a young age of her brother’s diagnosis, and how it was presented to her affected her understanding. Also a reader from the States, I enjoyed hearing about this authors own experiences as a citizen of Ireland, as well as the unfortunate history of institutionalization in that country. For me this was a reminder of the way individuals with disabilities have been treated in the past, and is a reminder for us to learn from the past and move forward.
Thank you to NetGalley, as well as to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Isabella C, Reviewer
This was a sweet and inspiring little memoir about the author's experiences growing up alongside her brother, John. I resonated deeply with this book, since, like the author, I too have a younger brother that is neuro-divergent. I was very touched by the reflections she made and the insight she offered. She showcased how having someone in your life like John is not a burden, but rather a gift. I have firsthand experience in how sometimes it feels like the opposite, but Jane Feighery helps the reader zoom out to look at the bigger picture. Like the author, I too would not be where I am today without my little brother.
Thank you to NetGalley, as well as to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book so much, I purchased a physical copy on Amazon.
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