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Here is what I needed: a compendium of articles by young adults living with FAS/E and their parents, therapists, doctors, and caregivers. The book has three stated intentions: to provide examples of people living "successful" lives with FAS/E (and explanations of what that success means); to describe "strategies that work"; and to look at FAS/E from a community or holistic point of view. As a result, it errs a bit in the direction of optimism. It does not set out to cover the horror stories and nightmares, though enough sneak in by way of truth-telling that there is no gilding the lily. This form of brain damage is very, very difficult for everyone it touches, and many people with the disorder do end up in prison, on the streets, or dead before they're 25. But some young adults DO become relatively independent (if they have public services such as sheltered workshops, therapists, group homes, and income supplementation); some get married, and if they marry mature and capable people who are able to carry more than half the weight, some succeed in parenting, and/or finding jobs that satisfy them and use their special skills. That's quite a string of IFs, and yet the book opens a window on at least a distant possibility of life beyond the time when mom takes on the labor of supporting two households. I needed the view through that window. This is a really wonderful book. There's a little sappiness in it, because when you get parents talking about kids with disabilities, a certain amount of sentiment is naturally going to flow over the top; but for the most part, it's good science, good sense, and good human feeling.