{Book Review} Shape Of The Eye

My Aunt Lisa plays with all of her nieces and nephews  loves watching movies, dancing, and singing! As one of 12 children, she has the amazing ability to entertain everyone in the family with exact dance moves to Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, and Janet Jackson! (I mean, she knows every step, and doesn't miss a beat!) Lisa, sends out birthday and holiday cards, to everyone she knows and loves, this list has grown to be very large and over one hundred people! 

It never occurred to me that she was any different than us kids, my mother's age, or that she had an extra chromosome. Lisa was one of us, and we included her in everything! Being in a huge family, Lisa has responsibilities, chores, and is held accountable. Down Syndrome has not limited her, and she has worked for the last thirty plus years through a sheltered workshop. She takes great pride in working and having her own spending money. She has a community of friends and family, that has never treated her any different than the rest of our family! Down Syndrome, has never been a burden, "condition," or something that we don't talk about or share with others. I am proud to have first hand knowledgeable of how amazing my Aunt Lisa is, and love everything about her!

I am excited to share THE SHAPE OF THE EYE by George Estreich (out April 18). This memoir, focused on a stay-at-home father raising his daughter with Down syndrome, is truly unlike any other memoir on the market.  It is a “moving, heartbreakingly lucid story” that is a “poignantly eloquent meditation on the genetics of belonging” (Kirkus), and provides a true-to-life examination of the struggles and love that encapsulates the world of living with and raising someone with Down syndrome. In More Magazine’s April issue, they called the book “a father’s eloquent, searching memoir,” and list it as a book that will “recalibrate your mind and heart.”

Estreich not only does he recount his experiences raising his daughter, but he also:

• Explores the new prenatal tests and their implications on society (particularly the MaterniT21 test, which he has discussed here and here).

• Provides an in-depth examination of the history of the syndrome (interesting fact: John Langdon Down who originally dubbed the syndrome “Mongolian idiocy,” which he considered a regression in intelligence, ended up having a relative with Downs).

• Discusses the possible future treatments for the disorder (a cognitive pill is currently being tested, which caused a stir last summer in papers like The Washington Post).

Earlier this year Estreich also wrote a piece for the New York Times, a commentary on Down syndrome and disability in our society, which generated great conversation. 

A note on THE SHAPE OF THE EYE:

The Shape Of The Eye is the winner of the 2012 Oregon Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. Originally published in hardcover, this paperback edition includes a new afterword wherein Estreich provides an update on his family’s life and delves into the new technological advances and quandaries of the disorder.

About the Author:

George Estreich received his M.F.A. in poetry from Cornell University. His first book, a collection of poems entitled Textbook Illustrations of the Human Body, won the Gorsline Prize from Cloudbank Books. The Shape of the Eye was awarded the 2012 Oregon Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. Estreich currently writes for Biopolitical Times, the blog of the Center for Genetics and Society, teaches a course in literature and medicine at Oregon State, and can also be found online at www.georgeestreich.com. He lives in Oregon with his family.

Check out his Website for more details, and "Like" on  Facebook.

*I was not compensated for this review, but sent a copy of the book for my personal review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.