How David Met Sarah by Anne Kelleher

I have to admit that this is one of the hardest reviews I have ever had to do. It’s not because of the book but because I believe so strongly in the cause it represents. If you haven’t guessed, literacy is quite important to me. However, there is another cause that I don’t often talk about and that’s providing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to live their life to the fullest.
When my son started to read, it was amazing. He was just so smart and wanted to read everything. My mom commented that she wasn't surprised because reading allows for a certain amount of power. The story of Martin Luther seconded this idea. If you are not familiar with his story let me paraphrase – Martin Luther believed that the Bible should be translated into the common language (in this case German) so that everyone could have access to reading God’s word. The church had all the power because they were the only ones who could read the Bible.

What do you do when you don’t have the ability to read at an adult level? I never thought about this. To me, reading is reading. I never thought about it. I read anything and everything without thought or care – if it appeals to me then I read it. But what would my life look like if all I could read were children’s books. This makes me think of the scene in Lorenzo’s Oil when the boy indicates he’s sick of the stories his mother reads to him and wants something more age appropriate.
This is the case for many adults with disabilities that affect their ability to read at an adult level. They are relegated to the children’s section of the library for life. That is until Anne Kelleher wrote How David Met Sarah.

For me, How David Met Sarah was a beautiful snapshot in the life of a man who falls in love with a girl he sees in a restaurant. David may have a different life than mine but he was no less of a man. It was such a touching story. For those like David, this is a story they can relate to. David has work problems, life problems and through all this he’s found something to make it all okay. He has found a beautiful angel that occupies his every thought.

I highly recommend this book. I think it’s a must have whether or not you have someone in your life like David. I think it’s the perfect tale of what it’s like to live with a disability. Not everyone in David’s world accepts him. People can be very cruel and David’s story made me cry. I cry still. I am so grateful to have been given a review copy of this book.

I want to share one more point that I loved about this book. You know that David has a disability but it’s never used to describe David. In fact, David’s disability is never defined. A few words are thrown around when his parent’s talk to Sarah’s mother and it made me realize that as a parent of a child with a disability that I am like that too. I try not to let my son’s disability define him and then I throw it out there because I’m afraid the world won’t understand him.

Thank you Anne Kelleher for writing such an amazing story and I hope other authors step up and follow suit.

This post is part of a book blogtour, visit How David Met Sarah