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Can't Breathe: A Memoir
Laesa Faith Kim, author
A child born too early, clinging to life. Her heart is incorrectly formed. Her airway is compromised. She is unable to swallow or breathe.
A mother losing, finding and remaking herself, again and again.
A family who refuses to give up.
Can’t Breathe is a young mom’s compelling recollection of her medically complex daughter’s journey toward life. Evelyn Faith survives—she even thrives. But her path is unimaginably hard, riddled with pain and trauma, hope and miracles, and incessant uncertainty.
This beautifully written, harrowing book captures the nuances of life with a special-needs child. It is a map of the boundlessness of the human spirit and the love that drives parents onward whatever the cost. In this debut memoir, Laesa Kim reaches into her darkest and most private depths to share the truth—the struggles and joys she and mothers like her face each day.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Idea: This memoir is a candid, moving account of the author’s experience of raising a special needs child.
Prose: Kim’s prose is graceful, fluid, and frequently lovely. She brings to each sentence careful thought, nuance, and awareness.
Originality: While there are many memoirs surrounding parenting a child with special needs, Kim’s book stands apart through its poetic sensibility, depth, and subtle emotion.
Character/Execution: This is a fine, harrowing, and deeply impactful memoir that will offer solace to mothers facing the unique challenges of caring for a child with complex medical needs.
Date Submitted: November 17, 2020