Title: Delightfully Different: A Novel
Author: D. S. Walker
Length: 156 pages
Genre: Fiction
Publisher/Date: iUniverse.com, 2010
Source: Review copy courtesy of the author
Delightfully Different by D. S. Walker is just that, a delightful look into a world that is somewhat different from what most people know as typical. As it is described on the author’s website:
Delightfully Different shares a poignant glimpse into the life and mind of a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome who demonstrates through her compelling experiences that every life has a purpose and that being unique is what makes each of us special.
Although this novel is listed on Amazon as being for appropriate for a reading age of 9-12, I think it will appeal to a much broader audience. It is as much the story of the mother who is trying to figure out how to understand and help her daughter as it is the story of the young girl who sees the world in her own unique way.
The book also delves into the complexities that arise when two people from different family backgrounds and cultures marry. Along the way, we encounter some of the fascinating aspects of life in Hawaii, including a competitive private school system that seems to rival that of New York!
There were several things I really appreciated about this book. One is how the story goes back and forth between Mia (the daughter) telling of her experiences growing up and Francesca (the mother) recalling what she thought and felt about what was happening. Another is how they each reflect on certain things that they later learned were specifically related to the way Mia’s sensory processing difference and Asperger’s Syndrome affect her perception of the world.
The topic of bullying is also addressed in this novel, and I found it to be from a very positive viewpoint. The mother is strong in her response to what is happening at her daughter’s school and the school does respond with increasing seriousness as she continues to advocate for the situation.
One other strength of this book is its contribution to the topic of Asperger’s in girls. There is a lot of attention given to how this disorder appears in boys, but not as much on how it can present differently with a girl. This novel is a solid contribution to the effort to raise awareness and understanding of this less-understood area.
All in all, Delightfully Different is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. In fact, I like it so much that I am actually giving away one copy of this book to one of you! I was honored to receive a review copy from the author, which is now in my permanent collection, and I will be purchasing a brand new copy for the winner of this giveaway.
How to Win
To enter to win a copy of Delightfully Different by D. S. Walker, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post before 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, April 28, 2011. The winner will be contacted within 24 hours at the email used to leave your comment and will have 72 hours to respond with their mailing address, or another winner will be chosen.
This post is also part of the Best of the Best monthly blog carnival at Help! S-O-S for Parents, which during the month of April is focusing on book reviews, many with giveaways. The carnival will be published on April 15th, and each giveaway will run for at least one week to give you time to visit them and enter to win!
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a nephew and great-nephew with aspergers. Would Love to win this book. It’s a hard life. One is going through chemo treatments for 22 weeks-9 1/2 yrs. old. It would be helpful for the other nieces and nephews to understand more.
Sounds awesome, Trish. Pick me, pick me! LOL. By the way, I tagged you for a meme!
Thank you so much for highlighting this book, Trish! Don’t enter me to win as I have already been promised a copy. Your review and recommendation are meaningful – knowing you. I will be give the copy I receive away, too.
Ahem. I will be giving away the copy I receive. (Note: no publishers beating down my door.)
I’m sure this book is really worth the read and also a good avenue to get more people aware of Aspergers and to be more tolerant with those that have it.
I’d love to read this.
Delightful is how I describe girls with AS. Their struggles are often over looked and misunderstood. Bravo to the author for exploring this topic.
Thanks to all who entered. Melissa Taylor was randomly selected as the winner, and the book is on its way to her!