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Finding Lina (Book) Review

 
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At a Glance...
 

Page Count: 241
 
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Author:
 
Year Published:
 
Final Score
 
 
 
 
 
3/ 5


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We liked?


A raw and detailed look into life with autism.

Not so much?


Links autism to vaccines without solid science to back it.


Final Fiendish Findings?

Regardless of the cause, Finding Lina is a book that opens up the curtains and lets readers peek in to the day to day lives of families raising special needs children. From the never ending search for cures to often crippling despair to the many triumphs big and small, readers are let into Lina’s world – and left all the better for the understanding gained from it.

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Posted September 3, 2013 by

 
Full Fiendish Findings...
 
 

“A Mother’s Journey from Autism to Hope.”

Helena Hjalmarsson had a seemingly charmed life. With two gorgeous young girls, a network of close friends to lean on, and a fabulous life in the city, she and her husband seemed to have it all – great careers, a beautiful family, and loving friends to share it all with. But when Helena’s oldest daughter Lina went suddenly from a typically boisterous and chatty three year old to a barely verbal child prone to biting and violent outbursts, her seemingly perfect life is shown to be both fragile and tough as nails. Though her marriage falls apart and she struggles daily with the challenges that autism brings, Helena will not give up on the chance to once again find Lina.

Finding Lina is an often heartbreaking account of daily life with a severely autistic child. From Lina’s violent tantrums in public, to her many instances of sneaking out of the house, to her habit of punching and biting when distressed, to her ability to complete turn the house upside down in an instant, Hjalmarsson does not shy from presenting a true picture of what her day to day life is like. And she also doesn’t shy away from the details of her own emotions when dealing with such trials. Though she loves her daughter dearly, anger and thoughts of running away from it all could hardly be avoided in such a situation. Instead, the family resolves to seek out and find a variety of therapies, diets, and medicines that could help Lina find her way back.

Just as heartbreaking as Lina’s struggles to relate to a world that does not understand her, are the struggles of the family that lives with her. Though Helena’s ex-husband remains a constant presence and a variety of babysitters and special schools are there to help, the day to day life of this family is one of massive struggles and triumphant yet small gains. And through it all, Lina’s younger sister Elsa is growing up in a situation where little is in her control. Finding Lina truly captures issues that siblings of autistic children face, and it is heartbreaking. Elsa’s needs must often take a backseat to the more immediate issues of keeping Lina from hurting herself and others, and it feels as though Elsa is often lost as well.

While I found Finding Lina to be an inspiring and eye opening look at living with autism and all that it entails, I did have an issue with the way the book perpetuates the belief that Lina’s autism was directly caused by the MMR vaccine. This is a theory that has been disproved multiple times, and it is damaging in that is prevents parents from vaccinating their children against truly life-threatening diseases. I also found it curious that Lina has not actually been officially diagnosed with autism. In fact, the book several times states that various doctors believe her issues could well be caused by something else entirely.

Regardless of the cause, Finding Lina is a book that opens up the curtains and lets readers peek in to the day to day lives of families raising special needs children. From the never ending search for cures to often crippling despair to the many triumphs big and small, readers are let into Lina’s world – and left all the better for the understanding gained from it.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)


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