Heather H House
From the minute she first laid eyes on her baby girl, Heather House knew what the doctors would not immediately tell her: one of her newborn twins had Down syndrome. In this thoughtfully candid memoir, House takes an unflinching look at the sometimes painful, often joy-filled, always humbling experience of being the mother of a child who has special needs. Genuine, raw, funny and engaging, This Is What Perfect Looks is as endearing as it is unsentimental. Initially disoriented by the change in her identity from “Spectacularly Competent Mom” to “Mother of a Child Who Has Special Needs,” it is the hard-won love for her daughter Fern that serves as her inner compass and ultimately leads House to recognize that she has everything she has ever dreamed of – and a little extra, too.
Kayleigh on Goodreads wrote:An emotionally raw and courageous account of a life changing experience... in a super quick and compelling read. A look into the confusing journey the author traveled (and perhaps, is still traveling) as a mother. The writing is heartfelt and Ms. House doesn't hold back. With amazing levity, the book touches on immense subjects like grief, love, guilt, changing family dynamics, depression, the Modern Medicine Machine, belief in God, and also how to navigate grocery shopping when emotions are high and patience is low; something most anyone can relate to! I read this book in one sitting and found myself wanting to know more - dig deeper into some of the many challenges and realizations Ms. House explores with grace that comes from vulnerability and perspective. The book is also beautifully constructed with relevant photographs to set the tone at the start of each chapter.
This book was a raw look into the life of a parent who's child has Down Syndrome. It honestly looks at the struggle Heather felt in accepting that things don't always go the way you planned them and that parenting (to children both with and without special needs) is all about being flexible. Through the whole book, you could feel the love that Heather has for Fern, as well as her other children. It was a great, easy read.
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