Born with a hole in his heart that required invasive surgery when he was only three months old, Quinn Bradlee suffered from a battery of illnesses - seizures, migraines, fevers - from an early age. But it wasn't until he was 14 that Bradlee was correctly diagnosed with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS), a widespread, little-understood disorder that is expressed through a wide range of physical ailments and learning disabilities.
Ten percent of the population is affected by a learning disability, but few of us understand what being learning disabled (LD) is really like. In A Different Life, Bradlee tells his own inspirational story of growing up as an LD kid - and of doing so as the child of larger-than-life, formidably accomplished parents: long-time Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and Washington Post columnist and best-selling author Sally Quinn. From his difficulties reading social cues, to his cringe-worthy loss of sexual innocence, to developing an interactive website for the LD community, Bradlee describes the challenges and triumphs of living a different life with disarming candor and humor.
A remarkable story of coming of age, A Different Life is also an insightful reflection on what it means to be different. By the end of this unforgettable memoir, Quinn Bradlee will have become, if not your best friend, one of your favorite people.
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"I really liked this book, although his language is a little raw a times. I can't say that I learned a lot about VCFS, but I did contemplate a little more about how those struggling with learning disabilities feel."
—
Robyn (4 out of 5 stars)