HOW TO BE A SISTER: A LOVE STORY WITH A TWIST OF AUTISM

Book ID/图书代码： 02173010B36350

English Summary/英文概要： Eileen Garvin’s older sister, Margaret, was diagnosed with severe autism at age three. Growing up alongside Margaret wasn’t easy: Eileen often found herself in situations that were simultaneously awkward, hilarious, and heartbreaking. For example, losing a blue plastic hairbrush could leave Margaret inconsolable for hours, and a quiet Sunday Mass might provoke an outburst of laughter, swearing, or dancing.

How to Be a Sister begins when Eileen, after several years in New Mexico, has just moved back to the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. Being 1,600 miles away had allowed Eileen to avoid the question that has dogged her since birth: What is she going to do about Margaret? Now, Eileen must grapple with this question once again as she tentatively tries to reconnect with Margaret. How can she have a relationship with someone who can’t drive, send email, or telephone? What role will Eileen play in Margaret’s life as their parents age, and after they die? Will she remain in Margaret’s life, or walk away?

A deeply felt, impeccably written memoir, How to Be a Sister will speak to siblings, parents, friends, and teachers of people with autism—and to anyone who sometimes struggles to connect with someone difficult or different.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 如何在最不可能的地方找到真正的快樂?
這是一本以滿懷感傷、幽默及真誠的筆觸，訴說一段關於自閉症兒的真實故事:就算感到孤獨不被重視，關心你的人依然伴隨左右
當妳一世的姊妹: 關於自閉兒的愛的故事

美麗卻不容易被了解，電影《一閃一閃亮晶晶》敘述關於四位堅強但是患有自閉症的小男生，他們難以言語表達的內心異想，卻引起大眾廣泛的討論，而本書作者Eileen Garvin也是訴說親身經歷，她是如何與自閉症姐姐的相處。
Eileen很小就必須與三歲就罹患自閉症的姐姐Margaret相處，後來應該被家人照顧的她，卻肩負起照顧姊姊的責任。在書中Eileen表達了她原本對自己有個這樣的姊姊感到羞恥，也寫道『孤獨』是有自閉兒的兄弟姊妹時常會有的感覺，因為當面對姊姊Margaret時常會暴怒或是憂鬱的個性，Eileen也選擇將自己隱藏起來，後來還要發展出一種類似面對挫折的微笑，來處理與姊姊相處的過程。
長大後Eileen選擇逃避照顧姊姊的責任，但後來發現Margaret呈現出的生命是不同於多數正常人的人生，她們兩人是如何在最不可能的地方找到真正的快樂。(CL)

Awards/获奖情况：“A marvelous, harrowing, life-affirming book. In looking to forge a meaningful relationship with her severely autistic sister, Eileen Garvin finds a simpler way of being in, and extending, every moment. Isn’t that what we’re all after? I loved this book. And boy, can she write!”---《三狗生活》艾比凱兒.湯瑪斯Abigail Thomas, author of A Three Dog Life: A Memoir

“Autistic kids grow up to be autistic adults. They have brothers and sisters who grow up alongside them. This book is an unforgettable, courageous, and explicit sibling’s eye view into a rarely explored relationship, where the bond wrought by love and joy, crisis and heartbreak is mesmerizing.”---《豆蔻女孩》瑪麗安··史密斯 Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, author of Girls of Tender Age: A Memoir

“Although Eileen Garvin was the younger sister, she was expected to be responsible for Margaret. Now, as an adult, Eileen struggles to understand her unpredictable and effusive sister, and finds that no matter how much confusion and inner conflict she feels, she always returns to love. A poignant, thoughtful, and honest portrayal of life with a sibling who has autism.”---瑞秋‧西蒙《跟著妹妹搭巴士》Rachel Simon, author of Riding the Bus with My Sister and Building a Home with My Husband

“There is nothing gentle or elegiac about the tone of Eileen Garvin’s How to Be a Sister, and while there’s self-awareness, there’s a welcome lack of extended self-analysis. The focus instead is squarely on the author’s sister, Margaret, diagnosed as autistic at 3 years old. . . . Garvin’s storytelling abilities are strong, and her fierce, protective love for Margaret, whom she brings to stinging life on the page, gives this book real power.”---The Washington Post

“How to Be a Sister, told with amazing insight and compassion, is rich in the hilarious detail of coping with a beloved family member with special needs. Read this book. It will enrich your life.”---Terrell Harris Dougan, author of That Went Well: Adventures in Caring for My Sister

“Eileen Garvin’s portraits of her sister Margaret in chaotic action bring a rich identity into focus, an identity that includes autism—but also a wild and playful tug-of-war with the world that more truly defines Margaret. Bravo to Eileen for seeing and for enabling the rest of us to witness her sister’s creativity, purpose, and profoundly independent path.”---Judy Karasik, coauthor of The Ride Together: A Brother and Sister’s Memoir of Autism in the Family

“Eileen Garvin has written a deeply reflective, generous book about her relationship with her older sister, Margaret, who has autism. A compelling description of how Garvin’s childhood experiences continued to influence her interactions with her sister many years later, it gracefully intertwines humor, pain, respect, and optimism. Eileen Garvin is open about her struggles, her love, her anger, her guilt, her fear, and her respect of her sister—as a child and as a woman. Every parent who is raising both a child with autism and a neurotypical child should read this book. So should every older teen or adult sibling of a person with autism. And so should all the rest of us who want to gain a greater empathy for the life of a family which includes a child with autism.”---Sandra L. Harris, PhD, executive director, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers University, and coauthor of Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families

About the Author/作者介绍： Eileen Garvin was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. The youngest of five children, she has always been close to her sister Margaret. She completed her B.A. in English at Seattle University, and her M.A. in English at the University of New Mexico. She writes for newspapers, magazines, and Web sites from Hood River, Oregon, where she lives with her husband.

Format:电子手稿

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：

原文第一章内容：暂无

手稿：暂无

大纲：暂无