Book Review & Giveaway of Lonely Girl, Gracious God: A Mother's Story of Autism's Devastation & God's Promise of Enduring Love

As a former special ed teacher who has worked with autistic childeren, I was more than happy to review Lonely Girl, Gracious God by Lauri Khodabandehloo, but I wasn't expecting anything earth shattering. I've read and heard many stories of autism, and I didn't expect this one to be very different.
Well, Lonely Girl, Gracious God surprised me. Almost right from the start, Lauri's brutally honest writing gripped me. She doesn't gloss over anything. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows - including feelings of guilt, despair, and devastation - are put out there for the reader without hesitation and with an amazingly reflective attention to detail.
If you enjoy reading parenting blogs, my guess is that you will really like reading this book. I am fascinated by the windows that blogs provide into other people's families, regardless of how their parenting style might differ from mine. Lonely Girl, Gracious God offers a similar kind of window. It is a powerful memoir that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
This book is categorized as an inspirational book - and with Lauri's perseverance and faith running as an undercurrent throughout the story - that label certainly fits; but it is far from being sugary sweet. This author, who has contributed stories to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, is definitely not afraid to share the gritty details of trying desperately to balance raising four children with a stressed marriage and an autistic daughter.
I have a very special place in my heart for children and families that have special needs, but even without that predisposition, I know that the strong dichotomous themes of tragedy and triumph, despair and hope, and hardship and miracle would have touched me deeply. I couldn't put this book down over the course of a four day vacation, and I recommend it to anyone who has a special interest in autism or Christianity, but also to any mama out there who can identify with highs, lows, and constant surprises of parenting.

BUY IT!

You can buy Lonely Girl, Gracious God on Amazon for $11.89.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win one of two available copies of Lonely Girl, Gracious God, enter in the comments below!.MAIN ENTRY: Visit the Lonely Girl, Gracious God web site and tell us why you are interested in reading this book.Leave a valid email address in at least one of your comments so we can contact you if you win. You can write them like this to foil spambots: mail {at} naturalparentsnetwork {dot} com.This is a joint giveaway with I Thought I Knew Mama and Natural Parents Network. You may enter at one site only, and we'll be recording IP addresses to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. That said, please do visit and enjoy both sites!BONUS ENTRIES: after completing the mandatory entry above to increase your chances of winning (leave a separate comment for each so we can count them all):

• Visit Deep River Books and tell us which of their other books interests you most!
• Subscribe to I Thought I Knew Mama in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
• Subscribe to Natural Parents Network in a reader or by email (1 entry for each).
• Leave a relevant comment on a non-giveaway article at Natural Parents Network and tell us which post (comment on separate posts for up to 3 entries total).
• Like Lonely Girl, Gracious God on Facebook.
• Like I Thought I Knew Mama on Facebook.
• Like Natural Parents Network on Facebook.
• Post this giveaway on your Facebook page or wall and leave the link (1 entry). You can use this status update: Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Lonely Girl, Gracious God from @I Thought I Knew Mama and @Natural Parents Network.Be sure to attach the contest URL to your update! (This is not part of the status text!)
• Follow I Thought I Knew Mama on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
• Follow @NatParNet on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in the comment.
• Tweet about this giveaway (up to 5 times total, at least 24 hours apart). You can tweet this text: #Win the book Lonely Girl, Gracious God from @IThoughtIKnewMa & @NatParNet! #giveaway http://bit.ly/kxRD4B
• Enter another of the giveaways on Natural Parents Network (1 extra entry per giveaway — check back for more).
• Put the I Thought I Knew Mama badge on your site. The html for the badge is on the sidebar of I Thought I Knew Mama. Leave your site URL in the comment.
• Put the Natural Parents Network badge on your website or add http://NaturalParentsNetwork.com to your text blogroll for 2 extra entries each. The HTML code for the badge is in the right sidebar. Leave your site URL in the comment.

RULES:

• Contestants may enter at either I Thought I Knew Mama or Natural Parents Network but not both. Entries will be combined for the drawing of a single winner.
• Leave each entry as a separate comment so we can count them all.
• For actions like following and subscribing, if you already follow or subscribe, just let us know in your comment.
• For tasks that garner you multiple entries, you can copy and paste the comment with a #1, #2, etc.
• You don't have to do any of the bonus entries, but you do have to complete the first mandatory one.
• We will pick the winner through Random.org after the contest closes and send an email notification. Leave a valid email address as you comment so we can contact you if you win. If we can't reach a winner or don't hear back within a couple days, we'll draw a new name.
• Any questions, let our interim giveaway coordinator know: ShannonR {at} NaturalParentsNetwork {dot} com

Contest closes August 17, 2011. PST.

Disclosure: Our reviewer received a free copy of Lonely Girl, Gracious God for review from sponsor but all opinions expressed are that of the reviewer.We try to seek out only products we think you would findrelevant and useful to your life as a natural parent.If we don't like a product, we won't be recommending it to you.See our full disclosure policy here.

Photo Credit: Author