SundayAtDusk's Reviews > Hazard: A Sister's Flight from Family and a Broken Boy

This is a wonderfully written memoir describing growing up in the 1950s-1970s with a mentally handicapped brother. Back then, autism was not easily recognized or understood. To make matters worse, Margaret Combs' parents came from an area of the country where such children were seen as being the result of inbreeding, and only poor, uneducated couples were suppose to have them. Her parents did not fit that description, and they also did not put their son in an institution or try to hide him from the public. Yet her brother's condition weighed heavily on the family, deeply affecting their daily lives and happiness. This is not a deeply depressing story, however. Life goes on for everyone, including the author.

Not only is this memoir about Ms. Combs' childhood, but also about her college years as a gymnast, and her adult life as a journalist, writer, wife and mother. Her childhood seemed most interesting to me, such is the case in many memoirs. Maybe because it was back in the time period when I was growing up, or maybe because that's when the author learned some hard, heartbreaking facts about life. In addition, that was the time in her life when she was always wondering how God fit into the picture of handicapped children. Was He cruel or what, creating children who could not experience life like other children? Thus, this book is a good read for those who like to think about such things; as well as those who appreciate an author who does an exemplary job remembering the thoughts and feelings of a child; a child growing up in a world that is much kinder to some than to others.

(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)