4 out of 4 stars
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Are you a sighted person who is unsatisfied with life? If you are, then you should read I Know My Way Memoir by Theresa Marafito, with Linda Odubayo Thompson. This book provides a vivid description of Theresa's life. Having low vision from birth, she grew up trying to adjust to the world. This narrative shows how she coped with the challenges of elementary school, high school and college. It follows her journey into womanhood, marriage, and motherhood. The authors' aim of writing this memoir is to help sighted people understand the everyday life of a suburban family, having some members with vision problems.
Theresa is the mother of the co-author, Linda. She started writing the memoir at some point in her life, but it was finished, after her death, by Linda. Married to Jerry, who is far-sighted, Theresa reveals her family's financial and health challenges. Nevertheless, she narrates how she and her loved ones had fun. They tried to make the most out of life in spite of the curve balls life occasionally threw them. Also, she relates how she and Jerry started a business to improve their finances.
At one point, I thought I was reading a novel because the memoir is written in an entertaining way. It consists of interesting dialogues and narration. Filled with pictures of family members and valuable stuff, I could easily relate to the story, and comprising fascinating events, it's gripping. Written in the first-person point of view, it's coherent and easy to read.
However, at the end of the account, after Theresa's death, Theresa kept on narrating. She even described her out-of-body experiences. For example, "You see, I died on the Tuesday before Easter, and by church law, I couldn’t be buried until the following week. It must have seemed like an eternity for all those I loved to wait so long to give me a proper sendoff." That's an extract from the end of the book. Dead persons don't narrate, and I wonder how the co-author got her late mother's thoughts. The book is very touching. It features the deaths of some family members due to illness. Hence, it may not be a good read for extremely emotional readers.
The book is full of adventures, and it unveils how Theresa made a difference by mentoring a group of college students seeking degrees to teach blind and virtually impaired people. Drawing on her personal experiences, she imparted the right knowledge to them.
In conclusion, the memoir is enlightening and encouraging. It shows Theresa's strength and determination during tough times. It was well edited; I didn't see any typos or typographical errors. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I don't have any reason to rate it lower, and I recommend it to partially sighted persons and relatives of blind children and adults.
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I Know My Way Memoir
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