
With this post, I am thrilled to bring you a brief book review and Part 1 of an interview series with Virgina G. Breen who co-wrote I AM IN HERE: The Journey of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice with her daughter Elizabeth M. Bonker.
When I started the book, I expected to be touched and inspired – I just didn’t expect to be absolutely blown away by the depth of Elizabeth’s profound poetry and Virginia’s expertly crafted story of loss, healing, hope and joy (enterwined amongst Elizabeth’s poems). I found myself deeply immersed in Virginia’s story and brought to tears many times by Elizabeth’s thoughts and words in black-and-white on paper; words she was unable to express before she learned to communicate through letter boards and later keyboarding.
For any parent of a child, teen or young adult with an Autism Spectrum Disorder struggling to find their voice, this book is an absolute must read! You’ll get a taste of Elizabeth’s profound poetry (and her after-thoughts about her poems in italics) below in my interview with Virginia, but you need to read the whole book…trust me.