Autism/Special Needs, Awareness, Books, Reviews 
2 Comments What I’ve Been Reading: Schuyler’s Monster
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Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter by Robert Rummel-Hudson
Schuyler’s Monster is a compelling account of a man becoming a father, followed by the realization that all was not well with his little girl. As he and his wife go through the process of finding out what is wrong and learning to advocate for their daughter, what is most striking is how Schuyler’s remarkable personality shines through, making the book as much her story as Rummel-Hudson’s.
I was first pointed to the author’s blog, Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords, through a college friend I reconnected with a little while ago, and I have been lurking there up until now. In addition to running out and buying the book (or ordering it online), I would highly recommend visiting his blog and viewing the series of short videos he has posted of himself and his wife Julie talking about Schuyler, their journey and the book. You will be glad you did.
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Tags: Autism/Special Needs, books, memoirs, nonfiction
I read an excerpt of the book somewhere recently (Good Housekeeping?!) and was struck by many things.
First, the absolute elegance of his words and his styling – he’s an amazing writer.
Second, by the ability of this man to put into words these thoughts and feelings and observations about his daughter. Absolutely flies in the face of the cultural stereotypes of the typical male for certain.
Third, by the passionate and unconditional love that completely oozes out of every inch of every page of what I read. I know that they often pick “the best” of the book for excerpts, but it was a long excerpt and I could not get over how complete was the love this man has for his daughter.
Finally, I loved that I noticed all that and came away with a greater appreciation for my kids and their unique giftings and abilities. None of my children (thus far) have dealt with special needs such as his daughter but the beauty of his talent is that he touched me and affected my thoughts and feelings about my own kids anyway.
thank you very much for your recommendations, sometimes it is really necessary to read about family (parents/children) relations. I know I need to be more loving and patient to my own daughter, sometimes I just forget about her being a child, not an adult and try to make her behave like an adult already… It is very important to remember – all our children really need is their parents’ love…