~I received a copy of Finding Lina for the purpose of review. Opinions and stories are my own.~
Finding Lina is a powerful story about one Mother’s struggle and search to find meaning and hope in her daughters journey. It isn’t a book with answers, nor a guide to show you revelations about autism, it is a story about understanding and love. It shows you a glimpse into the life of a Mother’s devotion towards her daughter who was diagnosed with Autism shortly after receiving the MMR vaccine. It shares with the reader, and those of us who painfully relate, about the loss of her child and how she sought to find her again.
As I am personally helping my own son with his battles through Early Education and multiple therapists, this book shook my heart. I’m quite late in posting the review simply because I had to take time reading it. Some of you out there with children in the similar situations will understand when you open the pages of this memoir, it is painfully honest and so brave… so incredibly courageous in its telling. I urge so many people that don’t understand the circumstances of raising a child with autism to take the chance in reading Finding Lina who walks you through in personal detail the struggles of special schools, restrictive diets, sensory stimulation, relationship-based therapy, babysitters, treatments and so many other situations.
“This is me, this is the mom, and this is the older sister. She is a mermaid. She is trapped in her body but one day she’ll be free.”
There are pieces in the story where they share journal entries, Helena and her daughter. It is just another step deeper inside the heart of her family. Lina is a fierce and beautiful girl despite her challenges. Seeing her through her Mother’s eyes shows you how much she is loved and how the support of family, therapists, friends and the community is important.
Helena Hjalmarsson is also a psychoanalyst and has also been published in Psychoanalytic Social Work. She lives in New York City with her two daughters where she has a private practice. Found on the belief that everything is interconnected, she reaches people through her articles and through her stories.
Whether you are a parent of a child with autism or not, this book will touch your heart and won’t let go.
You can pick up a copy of Finding Lina: A Mother’s Journey from Autism to Hope by Helena Hjalmarsson for $16.96 in Hardcover or $11.99 for Kindle on Amazon.
