Seeing Ezra

A Mother's Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and the Meaning of Normal

Contributors

By Kerry Cohen, PsyD, LPC

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$13.99

Price

$17.99 CAD

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  1. ebook $13.99 $17.99 CAD
  2. Trade Paperback $21.99 $28.99 CAD

Seeing Ezra is the soulful, beautifully written memoir of a mother’s fierce love for her autistic son, and a poignant examination of what it means to be “normal.” When Kerry Cohen’s son Ezra turns one, a babysitter suggests he may be “different,” setting her family on a path in which autism dominates their world. As he becomes a toddler and they navigate the often rigid and prescriptive world of therapy, Cohen is unsettled by the evaluations they undergo: At home, Ezra is playfully expressive, sharing profound, touching moments of connection and intimacy with his mother and other family members, but in therapy he is pathologized, prodded to behave in ways that undermine his unique expression of autism.

It soon becomes clear that more is at stake than just Ezra’s well-being; Cohen and her marriage are suffering as well. Ezra’s differentness, and the strain of pursuing varied therapies, takes a toll on the family—Cohen’s husband grows depressed and she pursues an affair—all as she tries to help others recognize and embrace Ezra’s uniqueness rather than force him to behave outside his comfort level. It isn’t until they abandon the expected, prescriptive notions about love, marriage, and individuality that they are able to come back together as two parents who fiercely love their little boy.

Powerful and eye-opening, Seeing Ezra is an inspirational chronicle of a mother’s struggle to protect her son from a system that seeks to compartmentalize and “fix” him, and of her journey toward accepting and valuing him for who he is—just as he is.

On Sale
Aug 30, 2011
Page Count
256 pages
Publisher
Seal Press
ISBN-13
9781580054195

Kerry Cohen, PsyD, LPC

About the Author

Kerry Cohen is a doctor of clinical psychology and works as a licensed therapist in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of the memoirs Loose Girl, Seeing Ezra, and GirlTrouble. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and Washington Post, and she has been a guest on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Her story was also featured on WE Network as part of the documentary The Secret Lives of Women.
 

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