The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect

"Brave and heartbreaking... will resonate with all parents." Jen Pastiloff, author of On Being Human

Order Now!
About the Book

As a young suburban mother in the early 1980s, Cathy had a loving husband, a sweet toddler, and a vision of life laid out before her. Pregnant for the second time, with twins, she imagined creating the warm, affectionate home she’d craved as a child. Her family would flourish, and she would be the calm, unflappable mother at its center.

But the universe had other plans.

The Shape of Normal explores Cathy’s intense denial and devotion as she struggles to face the challenges of raising a girl with cognitive disabilities. Convinced her diagnosis can be undone with just the right amount of single-mindedness, she turns it into a dark prophecy. But she’ll have to overcome adversity and learn the lesson of acceptance before realizing her daughter was never broken.

Cathy was never on a hero’s journey to save her child. She needed to save herself.

Details
Author:
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Vine Leaves Press
Publication Year: 2023
ASIN: 398832034X
ISBN: 9783988320346
Order Now
Buy from Amazon
Preview
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, Writers Alliance of Gainesville will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."