When Robert Adler and Meredith Conrad fall in love, all that is left for
them to do is prepare to live a fairy-tale life. With the blessing of their
second child, a son named Michael, everything they have always dreamed of
begins to become a reality. But his autism diagnosis is something they never
anticipated. The struggle they face after the diagnosis puts a strain on their
family that begins to tear them apart. Years later, Michael begins high school,
and the true love his older sister Ann Marie finds there helps bring her
insight and appreciation of Michael’s unique gifts and identity. It might be
just what is needed to put their family back together.
Description
The story of, A Special Love, began to form in my
mind when I was lucky enough in life, to stumble upon a job at a school for
special needs students. While working there I spent my days laughing, smiling,
and crying too. I fell in love with not only the students but their families as
well. I recently left my position after having a baby, to be a stay-at-home
mom. At that time, a family member began publishing and inspired my decision to
actually start writing. I had always wanted to focus on young adult/teen
stories, and missing the students I had grown so attached to, I continued to
develop the story of a family with an autistic son, and their relationships.
In my time working with special needs students I was
often a witness to the struggles they faced and that of their families. Every
parent can’t help but have expectations of what their child’s life will be. A
parent’s love adapts, grows, and transitions with their child. In this story
the family begins to fall apart. When you are the sister, brother, mother,
father, or friend to a special needs child or adult, you are often many things;
a caretaker, advocate, janitor, nurse. But, those roles always come second to
your primary relationship as a sister, brother, mother, father, or friend. I
was amazed to see that while the families I encountered faced numerous
struggles, they were most often met with smiles, selflessness, and strength.
This novel, is a love letter to any family facing
trials and tribulations, with a reminder that while it is easy to focus on the hardships
of life, the gift of acceptance and love is what it is really all about. The
joy, hard work, and sacrifice that I was able to experience in my career were a
true testament to the meaning of family and an illustration that every person
is unique, gifted, and one of a kind. As I worked with our special needs and
particularly autistic students, it became clear to me that it wasn’t always
about their accomplishments, but often their journey to get there. This story
is the depiction of one family and I only hope that others will be able to
relate.
Krissy Bells was born and raised
in the Detroit
Please leave a comment for a chance to be entered to win this ebook!
This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ
Posts
This sounds like a wonderful story.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com