Official Review: Behind the Curtain: Three Days in the Li...

[kandscreeley]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Behind the Curtain: Three Days in the Life of a Special Needs Family" by Amanda Shepler.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What would three days in your life look like? Perhaps you get up around 6 am to head to your 9 to 5 job. When you come home, you might cook dinner for yourself and your spouse. Then, it's a couple of hours of television and some cuddling before you're off to bed to do it all again. Well, for a family with a special needs child, life looks a little different.

Amanda and her husband Matt have four children - Jack, Vince, Marian, and Sebastian. Sebastian has AUTS2 syndrome, a rare genetic issue affecting the seventh chromosome. Sebastian is four years old, but developmentally along the lines of a two-year-old. Behind the Curtain: Three Days in the Life of a Special Needs Family by Amanda Shepler chronicles this family's joys, successes, failures, hardships, and triumphs.

The author's desire in writing this book is as follows. "It is the sincere hope of the entire Team Shepler that this glimpse into our day-to-day reality will not only bolster our fellow families on special needs journeys, but also enable those without disabilities to 'see behind the curtain' into our unique world, ultimately strengthening the community safety net for our precious and uniquely vulnerable children."

The book made me laugh. It made me cry. At the end of the three days, I felt I had a bit more understanding of those with special needs. Sebastian is a lovely child who has never met a stranger. His three siblings, wise beyond their years, look out for him and love him in a way that's rare, even among the closest families.

Perhaps the most poignant part of the book was when the family went voting together. One particularly uninformed lady berates Sebastian and his mom for allowing him to be out in public. The situation improves when a wonderful man rewards the kids for being well-behaved and encourages Amanda to "Keep smiling, Mom."

Most amazing, the book is exceptionally well-edited. I found no errors. There is only a sprinkling of profanity and no adult content. I highly recommend this to anyone with a unique child. It would help simply to know that you aren't alone. For those that have never met anyone with special needs, this is a great glimpse into how wonderful they are. Families with young children should read this together to teach that differences are to be celebrated and not feared.

To end, I rate Behind the Curtain: Three Days in the Life of a Special Needs Family 4 out of 4 stars. The author tells her story in an engaging way; therefore, it was a fast read. Honestly, everyone could benefit from reading about Sebastian and his family. However, those that won't read non-fiction might not be able to get past that. I do hope we hear more from Ms. Shepler in the future.

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Behind the Curtain: Three Days in the Life of a Special Needs Family
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[MsH2k]

This sounds like a wonderful book. Kudos to the author for finding the time to share these experiences while the kids are still young. The voting scene is a good reminder of the effect our comments—good and bad—have on others.
Thanks for a great review!

[Tablito]

I like how Vince, Jack and Marian love and look out for their brother, Sebastian who is a special kid.

[jardenjarden]

It must have been difficult for the author to share her story, but it is such an important topic to discuss. This book sounds like it would be a fascinating heart-throb of a story. Thank you for your review!

[Kanda_theGreat]

I'm impressed by the general feeling of empathy that a reader experiences while reading this book. I would also love to read a book which implores my being to resonate with its characters. Great review.

[kandscreeley]

This sounds like a wonderful book. Kudos to the author for finding the time to share these experiences while the kids are still young. The voting scene is a good reminder of the effect our comments—good and bad—have on others.
Thanks for a great review!

It's a lesson in so many different ways. I hope that this will open many eyes! Plus, it's just plain fun to read. Thanks!

[kandscreeley]

I like how Vince, Jack and Marian love and look out for their brother, Sebastian who is a special kid.

Yes. It's really nice how they all take care of each other. It's just rare in so many families. Thanks for commenting!

[kandscreeley]

It must have been difficult for the author to share her story, but it is such an important topic to discuss. This book sounds like it would be a fascinating heart-throb of a story. Thank you for your review!

It's quite emotional. Sebastian makes some great strides, though, and it's wonderful to feel like you are celebrating along with him. Thanks!

[Cutiewithabooty510]

I think this idea of telling what it's like to live with someone with special needs isn't common enough. This seems like an amazing book with beautiful purpose. I'd love to read it.

[Phelicia Gloria]

This is a book with mixed reaction, indeed not only those living with disabilities goes through a lot but also their families, Amanda must be going through a lot of challenges, great review and indeed she did a great work writing this, it's an eye opener to those with disabilities.

[Honest-reviewer]

Looks like this book will take the reader on an emotional roller-coaster. I would definitely want to know what a family with specially-abled children go through. Thanks for your wonderful review.

[Sjtoy]

This sounds like a great book. I work in special education and often wonder what the homelife is like for my students and their families. Based on your review, this is a book I would be interested in. Nice review.

[kandscreeley]

I think this idea of telling what it's like to live with someone with special needs isn't common enough. This seems like an amazing book with beautiful purpose. I'd love to read it.

I agree. It's a great book; it really makes you think. Thank you so much for commenting.

[kandscreeley]

This is a book with mixed reaction, indeed not only those living with disabilities goes through a lot but also their families, Amanda must be going through a lot of challenges, great review and indeed she did a great work writing this, it's an eye opener to those with disabilities.

Amanda and her family go through so much! It's really interesting to read about. I highly recommend this!

[kandscreeley]

Looks like this book will take the reader on an emotional roller-coaster. I would definitely want to know what a family with specially-abled children go through. Thanks for your wonderful review.

I just loved that Sebastian's siblings understood him so well. It's really wonderful to see how they help him out. Thanks!