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I Am In Here: The Journey Of A Child With Autism Who Cannot Speak But Finds Her Voice (2014)

by Elizabeth M. Bonker(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0800723333 (ISBN13: 9780800723330)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Fleming H. Revell Company

review 1: My mom gave this book to me as a gift, and we read it simultanously. When I saw the cover and the description, I was pretty excited to read it. I thought it was Elizabeth's story, and although it does have her poems, and some of her thoughts in the book, this is more of a philosophical book told from her mother's viewpoint...and there are many parallels drawn to things I could not relate to at all as a mother. For example, there was an entire chapter comparing capital venture funding and autism. Although we were told that Elizabeth's words would be written in bold print, a few times, they were not, and it was a bit confusing as to whose voice was speaking. I also felt like this did not even reflect the usual experience of a mother with a child with aspergers, since she... more is very wealthy and is able to fly to multiple states to help her daughter, and take her to the top specialists. Most parents have to deal with whatever specialists are "in network" and if they don't mesh with their children, there's not much they can do. She speaks of being a "How" person, but many people do not have the money and resources she has, and often the letter writing and pleading still does not get the help or respite a parent needs to help their child, no matter how much effort you are putting forth.I would love to read a book written by Elizabeth, and clearly this was not really it. I think it would have been a better book, albeit, short and sweet, with just the poems and the short descriptions of what Elizabeth meant to reflect in them. The mother included long descriptions of her own spiritual journeys, and could not come to a conclusion about whose journey that was either. Elizabeth, the daughter, seems to be pretty solid about her beliefs, but mom seems almost confused about her own. My overall opinion is that the title of this book is a misrepresentation of whose story this book actually describes.
review 2: Elizabeth's poetry revealed a thoughtful, compassionate, as well as a frustrated child trapped within herself. There are fragments of understanding autism through the mother's words which were her experience of having a child with autism. And herein is where the book strays. We read more about the mother's experience with her child, as well as seriously going off on tangents such as her business philosophy of 'how to ' people, to her experiences with her best friend, etc. and etc..... There is too much of the mother in this book and not of the child with autism. I will give the mother a break for her courage and strength, and because she is not a writer. Overall, I did come away more enlightened on autism and the girl's journey and do not regret reading it. less

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