Book Review: Raising a Rare Girl

Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir by Heather Lanier

 As do all pregnant mothers, Heather Lanier expected the perfect baby. But Fiona Soen Ray was born with the rare Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. In this memoir Lanier shares the raw emotional turmoil and sheer exhaustion she has experienced raising this “rare girl.”

 This is a beautifully written, honest memoir, and after reading it you will never again think of another person as “disabled,” “handicapped” or even “mentally challenged.” Lanier takes you along on a journey through the years to discover who Fiona really is.

 Although her husband, Justin, is an Episcopal priest, Lanier finds it inconceivable to imagine one man could redeem us from sin. But she certainly exhibits all the qualities of a Christ-like mother with her sacrificial love, dedication and faithfulness to the task of raising Fiona.

 I highly recommend this book because it shows the anguish that any mother would experience as she tirelessly cares for a child she loves yet sometimes finds some caregivers dismissive and even critical of her concerns.