Hole in the heart : bringing up Beth

The mother of a daughter with Down's Syndrome shares her family's journey - in beautiful black and white drawings - from hospital to home, and from early -years to school, in this moving, wise and unsparing graphic memoir. On Mother's Day 2004 Henny Beaumont gave birth to her third child. For the first few hours, her baby seemed no different to her two other little girls. With stunning art and refreshing honesty, Henny describes how family life changed the moment the registrar told her and her husband that their daughter might have Down's Syndrome. She knew that her life was over. How can this weak little baby, who would demand so much more from Henny than her other two children, and who would need an operation in order to survive, provoke such feelings of hatred and resentment? How can Henny learn to love her? And if she can't trust her own reactions to Beth, how can she expect other people to overcome their prejudices and ignorance about her condition? Henny's wit and irony transforms a deeply personal experience into a story that will resonate with every parent: we are all anxious about our children, wondering where they fit in on a scale of achievement, whether we do enough for them, and whether we love them enough. Hole in the Heart is a must-read not only for those who have had a similar experience and for the medical professionals who help them, but also for all of us who may have wondered how to behave towards families with disabled children, or who may question our own ability to be a 'good parent'.