4 comments about Regina's Record.

1. "Regina's Record" is an exceptional piece of literary non-fiction. Van Amber combines the story of his mother's mental illness and the horrifying treatment she suffers at the hands of the Veterans' Administration hospital staff with the autobiographical details of his own childhood and early adulthood. The writing is crisp and restrained during the most horrifying events, creating a sense of clarity in the reader. In other sections, the writing becomes lyrical, moving in its expression of love and pity and search for kindness. By the end, the reader believes both Van Amber's grandmother who says "The world is a hard place," and Van Amber, who finds miracles and kindness in that hardness. A beautiful book. A must read for students of counseling and psychology and psychiatry and nursing and medicine, for anyone whose profession requires them to see the human faces of the patient and the family members behind the label of the mental illness.



2. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY BRAVE LOOK AT A LIFE, THAT IN SO MANY OTHER SIMILAR CASES HAVE BEEN PASSED OVER, AND EXAMINED FOR WHAT IT IS - A LIFE! REGINA'S RECORD IS SO SENSETIVELY WRITTEN, AND KEPT ME PINNED TO MY FAVORITE READING CHAIR. THANK YOU JAMES VAN AMBER!



3. The most affecting moments in this memoir take place when the mother and son share a scene. The opening scene, for example, shows, in great detail, how a five-year-old boy witnessed his mother being taken away to the mental hospital. Much later, as an 18-year-old about to join the Army, he visits her at a VA hospital north of Chicago, and she does not recognize him; furthermore, she says that she has no son. What would she make of this memoir-- the son, now in his fifties, reclaiming his mother, detailing her life of abuse and sad delusion? That is the powerful irony that lies embedded in every word of this memoir--how Regina never knew her son (and could not help him) and how the author only knew Regina long after she had died (and could do nothing to help her).

   In one sense, it's a tough book to read. It does not spare the reader. It never censors itself. At the same time, it is beautifully written, a work of great literary craft, that can be appreciated by all who care about excellence in writing, not just by those who are interested in the subject of this book. It would make a terrific movie.




4. This is a book that should not be missed. As I read through the pages, I felt myself walking with Regina as the grip of the VA psychiatric hospital became tighter and tighter. The little boy (the author) has an amazing talent for not only condensing his mother's pain, but also his hopes, fears and his attempts to avoid his mother's fate.

   It really is a thought provking book. The treatment of the mentally ill, children without parents and the brutality toward women left me with a new perspective.

   I recommend it without qualification.

No comments about To Dream and Hope.

1 comments about Beyond the Red Door.

1. This is an excellent book....To me, loss of vision would be the worst disability to suffer.
   
   Janet lost one eye as a baby due to cancer, and was told she would lose vision in the other eye in the near future. She was put into a blind school (which had a red door) when she was a child, and didn't understand why she was there. She was 33 when she finally lost her other eye - it had finally succumbed to the aggressive radiation that she was given as a child.
   
   Janet was also adopted as a baby, and wanted to find her natural parents to see if the retinoblastoma was hereditary. When she was 18, she met her mother, who said she didn't want anything to do with her. Her father is a high-profile media personality in Australia. He finally accepted Janet as his daughter, and they now keep in regular contact.
   
   This book is about Janet's journey through her childhood, and into adulthood with a vision disability. Worthwhile reading.

4 comments about Death of a Dancer: Pcos in a Dancer's World.

1. Please do not waste your money! After reading the online reviews I had a bookstore special order this book for me (they didn't carry it). I read the book at the store since it's so short and triple spaced with big print. Then I nicely handed it back to them and said No thanks!
   First of all, the book has a ton of typos. More than once she refers to PCOS as POCS. POCS! Did they even proof read? It's very low quality.
   Second, the book is not in chronological order, so it's hard to really understand this personal expierience. It's very repetitive and repeats the same points.
   Third, PCOS does entail many issues with the body, however I felt like this person kept refering to emotional/mental issues. While I certainly agree these are a huge part of PCOS, this writer seems to have other mental issues going on. (Seriously, no offense is meant by this.) Just that she simply goes on an on about how everyone with PCOS will call home from college and drop out. So, it's a little ridiculous.....not everyone is going to have the same expierience. And she did not really focus a lot on other issues with PCOS.
   This book is very poor quality, poorly written, and edited. Please check it out from a library. You will see it's not worthwhile. It does not give good information, or even a clear picture of the condition, or ways to overcome.
   I would not recommend this to a young reader, even though it's an easy read- as it is extremely negative.



2. I was excited to find a book on PCOS that was a full-length personal account, but this book was surprisingly disappointing. Like the previous reviewer mentioned, there are numerous typing and grammar mistakes that distract the reader. I could ignore one or two, but there are several per page. I also found the book to be poorly organized (not by aspect of disease, not even chronologically!). It offers very little in the way of factual information; in fact, the author makes some unsubstantiated assertions that could be dangerous if readers take them as fact.

   The book was neither informative nor enjoyable. Women would be better off reading some of the more biomedically-based books, intimidated or not. I had high hopes for "Death of a Dancer", but it fell short.




3. I was kind of upset when I got this book in the mail today. I got my hopes up from the previous person who reviewed the book. I do agree that high school girls might benefit from reading this, but only if more techincal information had been included. I am not exactly sure how the book was even published, being that there are approximately 3 typos that are blatantly obvious due to the large print and triple spacing. I myself have PCOS and was looking for something/someone to identify with and this was definitely not the answer. I am very sorry that I wasted $13 on something I read in 25 minutes.



4. There are a couple of good things about this book - number one, it's a short read. You can give it to your doctor, husband, boyfriend, parents, etc., if they are unfamiliar with PCOS - it explains the devastating effects that PCOS can have on a woman's life in an easy to read format. It is not the most well written book I have ever read, in fact, it's badly in need of editing, and amateurish. However, it is easy to get thorough and explains the syndrome in terms of how it affected one person's life and self-esteem.
   
   Number two, it's like no other book on the market about PCOS - in other words, it's non-technical. It won't intimidate.
   
   Many women with PCOS get the "street level" diagnosis of being fat (i.e., out of control) lazy (why do the two necessarily have to go together - like there's no such thing as a lazy skinny person?) and lacking in ambition - even by medical professionals, who should know better. This book will explain why that perception is totally off-base and how PCOS can devastate a woman's life.
   
   I was surprised at the author's discovery of Diane 35 as a remedy for her symptoms. Apparently Diane has been in use in Europe for the management of PCOS, but not in the US, where it has not been approved by the FDA. Of course, any medication should be investigated before use - not all work the same way with everyone - but I am going to give Diane a try.

No comments about A Sky for Arcadia.

No comments about Legacy of Joy.

4 comments about Onward, Crispy Shoulders!.

1. I grew up next door to Jim and moved away many years ago but reading the book from thousands of miles away brought back a flood of memories of Jim and his family who were all so kind and patient. This book should give hope and encouragement to families with children of any physical or mental challenge. There are lessons to be learned about the amazing things that can be accomplished by extremely loving and talented people with disabilities. If you haven't read this book and are thinking about it, you won't be disappointed. Mary really brings Jim's life into a light that mostly only "locals" were able to appreciate. It is a testament to his parent's love as well. The definition of family can be found here.



2. This is a truly inspring tale of a family that not only homesteaded in Alaska, but raised a child with Down's Syndrome with little help from anyone else. The Haakensons had 6 other children, but managed to raise them all, including Jim with Down's Syndrome, to be contributing citizens with strong Christian values. The book was written by their daughter, Mary, after Jim died in 2001. This is a book anyone should read, and especially anyone with a Down's child in their family.



3. Beside being a wonderful account of the life of Jim Haakenson and his family, this book sets the reader into the lives of homesteaders in Alaska and their unique lifestyle. It leaves one in awe of what these folks accomplished in their daily life as well as the raising of Jim into a very capable employee, and responsible adult who was well known and loved in the community.
   Jim is a rich character and fun to read about. This is a well written, very interesting book, and definitely encouraging to any family raising a child with these kind of challenges.



4. This book was recommended by our daughter, mother of a Downs son, who knows the author. I expected to read a knowledgable, thoughtfully written book -- what I hadn't expected was top-grade writing, humor and a wonderful witness to family acceptance and faith. A truly inspiring story.

3 comments about The Caregiver: A Life With Alzheimer's.

1. I was very touched by the way he cared and loved his wife. He did a lot of trial and error and gave 110%.



2. This is a most thoughtful insight from both the point of view of the Caretaker and the one for whom care is given. Many of your own thoughts, questions, fears, victories, frustrations and actual experiences are seen and lovingly, yet honestly, shared by a gifted writer. Thought provoking, calming, and a real companion for a Caretaker who feels alone -- as we all do from time to time. Well worth the read!



3. Thank you, Aaron Alterra, for sharing your very insightful experiences while giving such loving care to your dear wife, Stella. Your touching recount of Stella's final days as a cellist and your countless successful efforts at preseving her dignity brought tears as I (a sexagenerian) empathized with your many dillemmas.

   I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with elderly parents or who themselves have become caregivers.

2 comments about Tinnitus: Help and Hope.

1. I found this book helpful, understandable, and an easy read (without the medical jargon that other books often contain). The doctor discouraged me years ago saying, "Not much could be done for Tinnitus." This book offers much help and encouragement to victims of this condition.



2. Most helpful, written in a smooth intelligent style, gives many tips for the sufferer in a non/medical type fashion. A terrific book...get this one!

No comments about Don't Bury Me...IT AIN'T OVER YET.