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* * * * * * * BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week *
* * * * * *
'Andrew Solomon's
investigation of many of the most intense challenges
that parenthood can bring compels us all to re-examine
how we understand human difference. Perhaps the greatest
gift of this monumental book, full of facts and full of
feelings, is that it constantly makes one think, and
think again.' Philip Gourevitch
In
this seminal new study of family, Andrew Solomon tells
the stories of parents who learn to deal with their
exceptional children and find profound meaning in doing
so.
He introduces us to families coping
with deafness, dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism,
schizophrenia, disability, with children who are
prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become
criminals, who are transgender. While each of these
characteristics is potentially isolating, Solomon
documents repeated triumphs of human love and compassion
to show that the shared experience of difference is what
unites us.
'Reading Far from the Tree is a
mind-opening experience.' Eric
Kandel
Drawing on
interviews with over three hundred families, Solomon
documents ordinary people making courageous choices,
whether considering prenatal screening for genetic
disorders, cochlear implants for the deaf, or gender
reassignment surgery.
Parents and children are
challenged to their limits, but often grow closer as a
result; many discover supportive communities of others
similarly affected; some are inspired to become
activists, celebrating the conditions they once
feared.
Elegantly reported by a spectacularly
original thinker, Far From The Tree explores
themes of generosity, acceptance and tolerance - and
shows how love for one's children can transcend every
prejudice. This crucial and revelatory book expands our
definition of what it is to be
human.
'A brave and ambitious work,
bringing together science, culture and a powerful
empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common
with each other - even with those who seem anything but
normal - than we would ever have imagined.' Malcolm
Gladwell
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