The Other Half of Happy

by

Rebecca Balcárcel

Contemporary / Middle Grade / Multi-cultural Family

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Date of Publication: August 20, 2019

Number of Pages: 332

 

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Quijana is a girl in pieces.

One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana’s Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn’t know more about her family’s heritage.

One-half crush, one-half buddy: When Quijana meets Zuri and Jayden, she knows she’s found true friends. But she can’t help the growing feelings she has for Jayden.

One-half kid, one-half grown-up: Quijana spends her nights Skyping with her ailing grandma and trying to figure out what’s going on with her increasingly hard-to-reach brother.

In the course of this immersive and beautifully written novel, Quijana must figure out which parts of herself are most important, and which pieces come together to make her whole.

This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.

 

 

Indiebound * Barnes & Noble * Amazon

 

Praise

 

“Seriously, I have never felt so seen in a book.” —Sophia Jimenez of @LatinxinPub

“Balcárcel’s well-rounded characters, complex friendships, and nuanced family dynamics will resonate with many readers. This is a title that will remain relevant long past its publication date. A must-have for all library collections.” — School Library Journal starred review

“With poetic, flowing prose that sometimes feels more like a song and characters so convincing that they seem real, Balcárcel’s stunning debut depicts the struggles of being raised with two cultures and the challenges of not being “authentic” enough—in this case, “not Guatemalan enough” or “not American enough.” A lovely, moving, and realistic view of the struggles and insecurities—as well as the beauty—that comes from being bicultural.” — Booklist starred review

“One of the best and most compassionate depictions of autism I have ever read in fiction.” — Latinas Leyendo

 

 

 

 

 

Rebecca is a bi-cultural Latina who loves her autistic sons, her kitty, and serving the students of Tarrant County College as Associate Professor of English. She holds an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars, where she was awarded the Jane Kenton Poetry Prize. THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY is her debut novel.

 

Website  ⬞    Instagram  ⬞   Facebook

Twitter  ⬞   Goodreads

 

 

 

 

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THREE WINNERS EACH RECEIVE:

SIGNED COPY OF THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY 

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NOVEMBER 5-15, 2019

(U.S. Only)

 

 

 

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Visit the other blogs on this tour

11/5/19	Author Video	Texas Book Lover
11/5/19	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
11/6/19	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
11/7/19	Excerpt	Max Knight
11/8/19	Review	Missus Gonzo
11/9/19	Notable Quotable	All the Ups and Downs
11/10/19	Guest Post	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
11/11/19	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
11/12/19	Scrapbook Page	StoreyBook Reviews
11/13/19	Review	Book Fidelity
11/14/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight

 

 

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Rounding Home

by

Sarah Swindell

  Genre: Memoir / Family / Autism

Date of Publication: August 2, 2019

Number of Pages: 256

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In 1991, twenty-one-year-old Sarah, the recently divorced mother to two-year-old Hayley, moved from the dusty small town of Farmington, New Mexico to the bustling city of Houston, Texas with dreams of a better life. A year later, she was swept off her feet by Greg Swindell, an established Major League Baseball player who had just signed a lucrative contract with the Houston Astros and was quickly becoming the talk of the city.

Six weeks after their first date, Greg asked Sarah to quit her job as a hairdresser and marry him during Spring Training in Florida. Over the next several years, Sarah’s Cinderella story continued with the addition of three more children, a lifestyle only a few ever dream of living, and a love story even fewer ever experience.

That is until 2002 when her picture-perfect life came to a gut-wrenching halt, and Sarah was faced with more pain than she ever thought possible. For almost a decade, the puzzle pieces would cease to align due to an avalanche of events; a devastating autism diagnosis, a painful affair, multiple marriages, multiple divorces and her children’s own personal struggles with self-harm, eating disorders, and attempted suicide.

If you have ever felt lost, betrayed, or heartbroken, this story will inspire you to never give up on finding true joy and happiness again. It will prove there is no such thing as the “perfect family” and that difficult times can actually make you stronger than you ever dreamed possible.

 

Praise

“Rounding Home takes you on a riveting journey through the eyes of an exceptional woman who embraced struggle, love, success, and the unimaginable, autism. Get ready to laugh, cry, and flutter with romance; it’s one hell of a love story!” — Gena Lee Nolin, actress, author, advocate, “Thyroid Sexy,” wife & mother

“In Rounding Home, Sarah writes with gritty honesty, a deeply moving account of life with her autistic son. This testament to the resilience of the human spirit will touch your heart and soul.” — Gayle Nobel, life coach, autism mom, and author of three books about living with autism

“This story of the Swindell family is a poignant demonstration of how each family member responded and was changed, for better or worse, as they struggled to come to terms with how their lives had been altered. And although there was damage along the way, they ultimately triumph by rekindling the love that created their family unit in the first place.” — Dr. Bryan Jepson, author, physician, and father of two sons with autism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This book delves into the life of one family that has been tested, beaten down, endured, and triumphed.

I wanted to read this book partially because of the title.  My sorority’s national philanthropy deals with Autism and I have a stepson that is on the spectrum, and I’m always wondering how those that have children with severe Autism (or stage 4 as the author puts it) handle the constant emotional battle they face and when the child cannot do anything for themselves and are not able to communicate their needs to others.  This book shares Sarah’s struggles and triumphs dealing with her son, her multiple marriages, her daughters, and her one true love.

The title is clever and Sarah reveals that she had this title chosen before she ever wrote the book.  Her story opens when she is at one of the lowest points in her life and then it flashes back to her childhood and moves forward from there.  Sarah had her own issues growing up and it is a pattern that repeated throughout the book – low self-esteem, wild abandonment, and sometimes destructive behavior.  When she meets Greg, her soulmate, life turns around for Sarah and we see another side that is we might frequently see in the press – the image of a spoiled athlete’s wife with the high dollar clothing, bad attitudes from player’s wives, and self-absorbed personalities.  But there is also love between Sarah and Greg and that bond is hard to break.  I think where it all turns around and the marriage starts to decline is after Dawson’s Autism diagnosis.  It isn’t surprising because caring for someone that is ill and trying to figure out what is wrong can take a toll on anyone or any relationship.

I found the chapters that dealt with Dawson’s disability the most intriguing.  I admired her dedication to finding out what was wrong with Dawson, what might have caused him to be autistic, and her pursuit of anything that would help him leave a semi-normal life.  My heart also hurt for several of her daughters and I admired how she included their struggles in the book and even asked them to write a few paragraphs for her to include.  I can’t imagine having to cope with their struggles on top of everything else and it is understandable how she arrived at the point she did at the beginning of the book.

This book is a raw look into Sarah’s life.  No one can say if everything she did was right or wrong because we don’t know what we would do if we were in her shoes.  Sarah coped the best way she knew how and looking back she realized what she did wrong which was mostly trying to find someone else to love instead of loving herself and making sure she was the best person she could be for herself and anyone else in her life.

This is the first book from this author and there were a few things that would have eliminated some questions I had while reading.  At one point she called Greg by the name Zeke.  I think we find out 80 or so pages later that this was her nickname for him but it was really confusing at that moment in time.  At another point, she mentions hosting an open house and having a listing, but there was no mention of obtaining a real estate license or working as a Realtor until near the end of the book.

Overall we give this book 4 paws up and commend the author for sharing her story with no filters.

 

 

Sarah Swindell lives in the Austin area with her husband, Greg, a former Major League Baseball player and 2019 Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Sarah is a commercial actress/model and has been working in the industry for over thirty years. She enjoys spending her free time with her four grown children and several grandchildren who reside in Texas as well.

Sarah is an avid moviegoer, loves yoga and true-crime podcasts, and advocates for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. Her son was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of eighteen months and continues to touch peoples’ hearts to this day.

Website  ⬧  Blog ⬧ Goodreads

  Twitter ⬧  Instagram ⬧ Amazon Author Page

 

 

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August 22-September 1, 2019

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

8/22/19	Promo	Chapter Break Book Blog
8/22/19	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
8/23/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
8/24/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
8/25/19	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
8/26/19	Excerpt	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
8/27/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
8/28/19	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
8/29/19	Scrapbook	Forgotten Winds
8/30/19	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
8/31/19	Review	Missus Gonzo

 

 

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Based on her own experience with Heather, her daughter, labeled with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder, and her extensive research into effective treatment regimens, Tami Goldstein’s compassionate tale of Heather’s progress to functioning recovery and independent living offers hope and practical advice to other parents of children similarly labeled.

From her daughter Heather’s original diagnosis to a veritable smorgasbord of difficulties, Tami did her own research into Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism and sought out a therapeutic approach that actually worked.  After comprehensive research, Tami found and accessed successful protocols for Heather which can be used by other parents of children with High-Functioning Autism.

Tami shows exactly how a sensory lifestyle was developed to provide and maintain Functioning Recovery and she provides examples of projective trials that show benefits pertaining to sensory support.  CranioSacral Therapy and Bio-Medical supports are explained as well as their value in recovery is documented as Tami illustrates how a sensory lifestyle gives crucial support for school, employment and independent living.

Tami also explores the controversy between the educational and the medical aspects of Autism and questions the legality of educational discrimination in these cases.  She reports in detail the opinion of one attorney who charged her $17,000 to form a legal judgment on the matter.

A portion of the profits of Coming Through the Fog will be donated to the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation, which expands the knowledge, fosters the awareness and promotes the recognition of Sensory Processing Disorders.

Review

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I wanted to read it because my stepson has Asperger’s and while he is very high functioning, there are still things that we are learning about him since his diagnosis was so late in life.

This book is one mother’s journey in finding help for her daughter so that she could lead as normal of a life as possible.  I was appalled at the school districts and the actions of staff and administration.  I realize that Heather was in school in the early 90’s to late 90’s when Autism was really becoming more and more prevalent in society and many people didn’t understand or know what Autism or Asperger’s was, much less how to deal with a child with the disorder.  However, to blatantly lie?  WOW!  But kudos to all of the teachers that did help Heather and helped make at least part of her education a less stressful event in her life.

The book has a lot of great tips and they are compiled at the end of the book so you don’t need to try and remember what they were or write them down anywhere.  There are also a lot of resources that I wish we had access to many years ago. I was surprised that one huge resource was omitted, that of Autism Speaks.  Perhaps because the organization wasn’t founded until 2005 and wasn’t utilized by Tami?

I wasn’t sure about part of the title where she speaks of Recovery because to me that means cured.  Tami does a good job of explaining that it means being able to function as normally as possible given all of Heather’s issues.

Overall, I thought this was a good book explaining one family’s journey and we give it 4 paws.

About Tami

When her youngest child was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Tami spent the next few years in a tailspin trying to find ways to help her daughter. She watched in amazement as a more holistic, all natural approach did what no western medicine techniques could accomplish. Some of those approaches included various techniques to stimulate the sense of touch.

Tami started by studying Reiki Therapy. Reiki a Japanese word meaning universal life energy. The first part Rei, refers to our spiritual dimension or soul. The second part Ki, means vital life or energy. This ancient natural method of healing touches the body without physically touching the body. (How else do you connect with a child who feels pain when you touch them?)

The benefits this approach provided opened Tami’s eyes to try other techniques. While she worked toward a Master/Teacher level in Reiki, she also sampled Yoga, learned Feng Sui, and began receiving regular massages & CranioSacral treatments, Chiropractic adjustments and Acupuncture.

Tami became so fascinated with the benefits provided by Massage Therapy and CranioSacral Therapy she decided to become certified and is currently State and Nationally certified in Therapeutic Massage, Bodywork and in CranioSacral Therapy. Her daughter’s Functioing Recovery is maintained by a Sensory Lifestyle and CranioSacral Therapy.

Since 2005, Tami has been State and National Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and she continued her training in Cranio-Sacral Therapy with the Upledger Institute in Florida. Tami became certified in CranioSacral Therapy in January of 2013. Trained in Massage Therapy, CranioSacral Therapy (CST) I and II, Somatic Emotional Release (SER) I and II,CST Pediatrics, and The Kolden Technique & Body Therapy, Reiki Master/Teacher. She is also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor.

Website