If I were a poet, I would write an ode to this book. Or the author. Anyway, I'd take Dr. Solomon over a Grecian urn any day of the week. In 12 chapters he explores a variety of what he calls 'horizontal identities,' that is, conditions which set children into a culture or identity group different from that of their parents. Examples include deafness, dwarfs, Down syndrome, and schizophrenia and others. For each condition he conducts extensive longitudinal interviews with families who are grappling with these profound parent/child differences. Here we meet good, bad, and mediocre parents, as well as some acutely 'difficult' children; it's Solomon's gift that he conveys each and every story with empathy and grace. Most importantly, this is not a book about disability. It's really about parents figuring out how to see and accept their children as the individuals they are, and by extension, how we can turn those same wide-open eyes upon our neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Yes, it's a long book...I checked it out multiple times to finish, and I don't regret a single page.
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