Story Description:
Random House of
Canada|April 9, 2013|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-30-36279-7
Every mother
teaches her children they shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but few mothers
have had to live that lesson like Kristine Barnett. When, at the age of two, her son Jake
received diagnoses that progressed from Asperger’s to autism, doctors,
teachers, and therapists saw only the autism.
Not Kristine. She saw a beautiful
little boy and she simply could not accept the bleak life of limitations being
projected for Jake. The Spark is a moving, terrifying and inspirational story of her
courageous journey with Jake, a journey that is a testament to the ferocity of
a mother’s love. Where others saw
bizarre behaviour and emotional withdrawal, Barnett saw a spark in her son, an
intelligence that just didn’t know how to talk to the world. Over the course of ten years she nurtured
that spark with unwavering faith and a tenacity that is, in the truest sense of
the word, awesome. And the child, who
therapists said shouldn’t bother trying to learn the alphabet or tie his shoes,
is now researching quantum physics at Indiana University, giving engaging
interviews on TV and inspiring students to stop learning and start thinking. He is just 14. But this beautiful joyful book is so much
more than the story of an exceptional mother and her genius son. In a voice that could be your neighbour, your
sister, or your best friend, Barnett shows us how to see children, whether those
with autisim or their non-spectrum friends, as she does – as unique people with
infinite potential. She shows us that
every child has a spark waiting to be discovered. If you are a mother, or have a child in your
life, The Spark is simply the most
compelling book you will read this year.
My Review:
The Spark was the most compelling and
profound memoir I’ve read in a long while.
Kristine Barnett is not only a genius in my opinion, but a superwoman
with herculean stamina and an unbelievably powerful advocacy quotient to her
personality.
After being told
that her 2-year-old son, Jake had autism and would likely never talk or read or
even tie his own shoelaces by the age of 16, Kristine refused to believe
that. After allowing herself to grieve
over the news she jumped on the bandwagon to get Jake the help he needed and
hasn’t stopped to this very day.
Kristine ran a
home daycare and had worked with children of various ages and various learning
disabilities so she wasn’t totally blind coming out of the gate. After a great deal of reading and research
about autism, Kristine and her husband, Michael engaged, Jake in every type of
therapy available to them. Jake’s
therapy schedule was so full that she would literally fall into bed each night
totally exhausted.
With careful
observation of Jake and what he did activity wise between therapy sessions gave
her ideas on how to best help and advocate for her son. She figured out that most of the therapy
focused on what Jake could “NOT” do, not on what he “COULD” do. This just didn’t make sense to Kristine and
she soon found herself creating her own activities out of things she either
made herself or bought. This set Jake up
for a lot of successes and encouraged him to keep learning. Although, Jake had stopped talking, Kristine
was still able to communicate with him through the activities they shared
together.
Jake’s IQ was
higher than Einstein’s had been and he had a photographic memory, and “taught
himself calculus in two weeks!” At age
9, little Jake “started working on an original theory in astrophysics that
experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize. By the time, Jake was 12, he had become a “paid”
researcher in quantum physics.
Without Kristine,
Jake would have stagnated. She had
earned that all the basic knowledge a child needed had to be acquired by the
age of 5, so this gave Kristine 3 years to pull off a miracle.
After observing
his boredom and further withdrawal from the world with the various therapists
coming to their home each day, Kristine made a decision against the advice of
the therapists and even her husband, Michael.
She pulled him out of therapy and began preparing him on her own for full
mainstream kindergarten. A feat no one
believed ever possible.
Thus begins,
Kristine’s journey to “follow Jacob’s spark – his passionate interests.” Through hard work, long hours, determination
and commitment, Kristine along with her husband, Michael, friends and others in
their community prevailed.
Kristine Barnett
is an intelligent, tireless, superwoman.
THE SPARK is dramatic,
inspiring and transformative. This is a
woman who faced overwhelming obstacles but through sheer determination,
stamina, and an overwhelming love for her son, changed not only his life and
his future but also the lives and futures of many other children.
THE SPARK is a memoir that should be
read by every parent, every teacher, and a copy should be in every school and
public library.
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