Review by Marlene Engel
What would
you do if you were told that you only had so many years before your vision
would be taken away? Many would be in
denial, others may fall into a depressed state, but for Nicole Kear, she chose
to make the best of the time that she was able to see. As she said in the book, she chose to carpe
diem. She traveled the world, joined
clown school and overall just enjoyed life.
But she didn’t tell others about her soon to be vision loss. Instead, she chose to keep it a secret. Not even some of her closest friends knew
about it. They did notice that things
were a bit off with Nicole at times.
Bumping into things, not accepting an outstretched hand to shake when
meeting a new person or not acknowledging a child when they were right in front
of her. It wasn’t until she came clean
to friends and family about her diagnosis that these instances started to make
sense. And it was in this admittance to
her loved ones that she was going through a life altering change that she was able
to start to accept it herself.
I first
heard about this book when my local library was hosting an author event. I was intrigued by this woman’s story not
only for her courage and positive outlook on life, but also because I had a
daughter who was blind. I wanted to hear
from another how they went about their everyday life while dealing with
compromised sight. In listening to her
speak about her diagnosis, how she chose to deal with it and how she’s doing
now, I was in awe of this woman. Her
story was so profound, her words encouraging, and I left there feeling
inspired.
This story
is about courage, strength and acceptance, but told with such humor that you can
only look at Nicole with respect, not sympathy.
Such an uplifting and empowering book about a strong, unique woman. This is an absolute must read for all.
Purchase
this book at:
“12 Things
About Nicole Kear”
1. I love the word "Darjeeling." There was a time, back
in my buoyant, whimsical youth, that I'd call my husband that, in lieu of
"darling." Consequently, I get inordinately excited when I can order
that kind of tea at coffee shops.
2. I am a terrible typist. Embarrassingly bad. To the extent that
you could devise the world's best drinking game, if you did a shot every time
you spotted a typo in one of my emails.
3. I buy really cheap, designer knock-off sunglasses. You can tell
they are knock-offs because after two days, the DG insignia on the sides falls
off. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that doesn't happen with real Dolce and
Gabbanas.
4. Red and purple are my favorite colors.
5. That said, I'm pretty color-blind so, who knows what my
favorite colors really are.
6. Two different strangers have asked me if I was a professional
singer, and these comments, for no apparent reason, are the most validating
things I've ever heard. I recount these stories to my kids far too often as
proof that I'm a great singer (they disagree). The first was a man standing
behind me at church, who enjoyed my rendition of "Hallelujah," which
I sing with relish. The second was a man selling fruit on a street corner in
Manhattan who overheard me singing a made-up song to my toddler to keep her
quiet. I will thank both of them when I accept my Grammy. They were the only
people who believed in me.
7. I know now how the word "misled" is pronounced but
for many years, I thought it was pronounced "my-zeld" so, secretly, I
say it that way in my head.
8. I wish I had tried dying my hair platinum blond and I fear now
I'm too old to pull it off.
9. I love raw chestnuts. Like, as much as Rapunzel's mother loved
radishes.
10. When I was a kid, I almost ate a spider. I don't know why. I'm
still a little traumatized by this.
11. I'm currently obsessed with the Ella Fitzgerald version of
"Paper Moon" but my favorite cover of it is the one sung by my
three-year-old.
12. The only way I can bear to do dishes is while listening to an
audiobook. Try it. It just might change your life.
About the
Author:
Nicole C. Kear is the author of the memoir Now I See You (St. Martin’s Press), chosen as a Must-Read
by People, Amazon, Martha Stewart Living, Parade, Redbook, and Marie Claire UK among others. She is currently working on the first
six books of an early reader series for children, The Fix-It Friends, to be published by Macmillan Kids’ Imprint, in 2017. Her
essays appear in the New York Times, Good Housekeeping, New York, Psychology Today, Parents, as well as Salon, the Huffington Post and xoJane, and she teaches writing at the NYU School of Professional Studies.
A native of New York, she received a BA from Yale, a MA from Columbia, and a red nose from the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, three children and two aquatic frogs.
A native of New York, she received a BA from Yale, a MA from Columbia, and a red nose from the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, three children and two aquatic frogs.
Connect with
the author at:
St. Martin’sPress is giving one lucky winner
A print copy
of Now I See You by Nicole Kear
US Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
