Description

All parent stories about raising a child with Down syndrome are special and unique, but in the hands of a good writer, they can have the power to reach, change, and resonate far beyond family and friends. And that is the case with My Heart Can’t Even Believe It, by journalist, blogger, and NPR contributor Amy Silverman.

Amy bravely looks at her life, before and after her daughter Sophie was born, and reflects on her transformation from “a spoiled, self-centered brat,”—who used words like retard and switched lines at the Safeway to avoid a bagger with special needs—into the mother of a kid with Down syndrome and all that her new identity entails. She describes her evolution as gradual—one built by processing her fears and facing questions both big and small about Sophie, Down syndrome, and her place in the world.

Funny, touching, and honest, this wonderful book looks at a daughter and her power to change minds and fill hearts with love so deep that, as Sophie once remarked to her mom, “I love you so much my heart can’t even believe it!” Theirs is a story worth reading.

Check out the Book Club Guide available for free, courtesy of the author!

---

Written by Amy Silverman
Amy Silverman is Managing Editor at Phoenix New Times. She is also a commentator for KJZZ, the National Public Radio affiliate in Phoenix, and her work has appeared on the radio show This American Life and in the New York Times. She is a graduate of Scripps College and has a master's in journalism from Columbia University. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and daughters. Find her online at www.myheartcantevenbelieveit.com

---

Read an essay by the author in The New York Times

Read an article by the author in The Seleni Institute’s Advice and Support column

Listen to a radio interview with the author at KBAQ, 89.5 fm

Listen to a podcast with the author at Like a Mother

Watch an interview with the author on Zona Politics , (interview starts at minute 11.33)

Read an article by the author in Brain, Child, the magazine for thinking mothers

Read an interview with the author on Tucson Weekly

Read an article by the author in Working Mother magazine

Watch an interview with the author on Arizona PBS’ Books & Co.

Read an article about the author’s daughter and the book at The Arizona Republic

Enjoy the book trailer

Listen to the author on NPR station KJZZ as she reflects on possibility of ‘fix-it pill for Down syndrome

Read an interview with the author on Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s blog

Read a Q&A with the author on azcentral (The Arizona Republic)

Read the author’s guest post on Love that Max blog

Phoenix New Times announces My Heart Can’t Even Believe It