Hole in the Heart; Bringing up Beth

 Hole in the Heart: Bringing Up Beth by Henny Beaumont, 283 pages.

Beaumont, a London based artist, wrote this moving book about her relationship with her daughter Beth. Her third daughter, born in 2001, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, Beaumont, pulling no punches, and particularly hard on herself, shows the hurdles, heartache, and the wrenchingly difficult decisions she and her family faced with swim lessons, school, and everyday family life. The author's beautiful portrait-like art is very effective at conveying the fraught emotional state that she and her family often found themselves in. Written five years ago, the book ends on a hopeful note, when Beth was a young teen, so, you know, we can only hope that things are still going well.