Editorial Reviews:
"Maureen Twomey breaks conventions to give us a glimpse into the before, during, and after her stroke at the age of thirty-three. At turns funny, harrowing, and bittersweet, Twomey's self-aware and unpreten- tious writing disarms you and quietly makes you her biggest cheer- leader. A revelation and a major accomplishment."
--Laura Diamond, author of Shelter Us and editor of Deliver Me: True Confessions of Motherhood (in print, it's on the back cover of the book)
"The nurse's note read: 'Standing by chair. Standing by sink.' To most of us, these are not accomplishments. To a person recovering from a stroke, they are miracles. For one author, so was writing the sentence, 'I sit.' Or learning to speak again. But fortunately for us, Maureen learned to write again. She brought back this moving book."
--Luke Sullivan, author of Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This and Thirty Rooms To Hide In (in print, it's on the back cover of the book)
"Brave. Wow. Godspeed, Maureen."
--Lee Clow, Director Media Arts, TBWAWorldwide,
Chairman, Media Arts Lab
"Before, Afdre, and After will break your heart, make you smile, and ultimately make you proud to know people like Maureen Twomey breathe the same air we all do."
--Rob Schwartz, Global Creative President, TBWAWorldwide
"I never thought I'd say this and mean it: This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It's a joyous, inventive journey through loss and recovery, and Maureen's spirit shines through in this blueprint for living a full, blessed and loving life. Read it now, you fools!!"
--Jeff Kreisler, author of Get Rich Cheating
"Maureen Twomey's nonfiction memoir, Before, Afdre, and After: (My stroke...oh what fun), is written by a wryly funny and brutally honest survivor whose message grabs the reader on the first page and doesn't let go until she finally means it when she says, "the end."...
This is a most impressive and moving memoir about a catastrophic injury and the way one brilliant, funny and very resilient person climbed her way back towards a full recovery with lots of help from the friends and family who were with her every step of the way. Before, Afdre, and After: (My stroke...oh what fun) is most highly recommended."
" I expected the book to be a tear jerker ... but the author made it witty and humorous too. The reader can feel the emotions Maureen felt, understand the struggle she had with her mind and body. You cannot help but laugh and cry with her throughout her journey. It truly deserves five stars and more for writing such a phenomenal journey of courage."
