From the Publisher
A person who is completely non-verbal may have an active mind concealed by sensory over-sensitivity and problems with controlling movement. You will find Emily's story fascinating.” — Temple Grandin, bestselling author of Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic Brain
“Emily Grodin is a powerful new voice of a once voiceless generation. It is impossible to not be moved by the brilliance and beauty of her writing.” — Matt Asner, Co- Founder of The Ed Asner Family Center
“Empower is an overused word, but the example set by the authors, to trust their instincts and often ignore the “experts,” stands as a valuable lesson for us all. Should be required reading for anyone who has a child 'on the spectrum' as much for the wrong decisions made as for the right ones.” — David Zucker, Film Director, Producer, Screenwriter
“This is a story of hope, challenge, resilience, and strength. Emily defies all odds by her willingness to share her truth and express her thoughts in poetic, powerful ways. Her mother Valerie, always by her side, witnesses her daughter's awakening - and allows Emily to shine. This book is an awakening for us all, and will do for the non-speaking community and their families what Helen Keller's books did for the deaf community. We will finally be heard; finally be understood; finally released from bondage. — Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project and author of Now I See the Moon
“For every parent who has a child that was not at all what they expected and discovered they could be more than they dreamed possible. You may not see that your dedication and resilience are paying off now but who knows they may pay off in dividends later. A story for every human who knows what it feels like to be alone and then one to be seen.” — Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, author of Thresholds and Chief Innovation Officer at the American Jewish University
“Through personal narratives, letters, and reflections, Emily expressively reveals a deep level of thought, feelings, and insight previously hidden to those around her. She defies incredible odds in a world where nonspeaking individuals have limited chances to develop agency. The world needs to hear from more autistic advocates like Emily who challenge our misguided assumptions about autism.” — Edlyn Peña, Ph.D., Director of Autism and Communication Center at California Lutheran University
“Valerie and Emily share the peaks, valleys, challenges, and successes so many families living with autism experience. The opportunity to see their journey through the eyes and words of both parents and child is a gift, eloquently presented.” — Darlene Hanson, MA, CCC
"An impactful memoir of self-discovery." — Library Journal
“Parents of children with autism will find gentle, helpful guidance in these pages.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is a chronicle of not only finding one's voice, but of learning to make others understand that voice — a whisper to a scream in reverse.” — NPR
"I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is an important landmark of a book. For autistic people and their caretakers, loved ones and other advocates, it is a hopeful story of what happens when you don’t give up and provide love and assistance to all the weary pilgrims on such a difficult road….It is a story of understanding. It is a straight and true story of a young woman’s journey to selfhood and her parents’ undying love and belief in her. I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is a celebration of the best possible kind." — Bookreporter.com
Matt Asner
Emily Grodin is a powerful new voice of a once voiceless generation. It is impossible to not be moved by the brilliance and beauty of her writing.
Elaine Hall
This is a story of hope, challenge, resilience, and strength. Emily defies all odds by her willingness to share her truth and express her thoughts in poetic, powerful ways. Her mother Valerie, always by her side, witnesses her daughter's awakening - and allows Emily to shine. This book is an awakening for us all, and will do for the non-speaking community and their families what Helen Keller's books did for the deaf community. We will finally be heard; finally be understood; finally released from bondage.
Rabbi Sherre Hirsch
For every parent who has a child that was not at all what they expected and discovered they could be more than they dreamed possible. You may not see that your dedication and resilience are paying off now but who knows they may pay off in dividends later. A story for every human who knows what it feels like to be alone and then one to be seen.
Temple Grandin
A person who is completely non-verbal may have an active mind concealed by sensory over-sensitivity and problems with controlling movement. You will find Emily's story fascinating.
NPR
Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is a chronicle of not only finding one's voice, but of learning to make others understand that voice — a whisper to a scream in reverse.
David Zucker
Empower is an overused word, but the example set by the authors, to trust their instincts and often ignore the “experts,” stands as a valuable lesson for us all. Should be required reading for anyone who has a child 'on the spectrum' as much for the wrong decisions made as for the right ones.
Darlene Hanson
Valerie and Emily share the peaks, valleys, challenges, and successes so many families living with autism experience. The opportunity to see their journey through the eyes and words of both parents and child is a gift, eloquently presented.
Edlyn Peña
Through personal narratives, letters, and reflections, Emily expressively reveals a deep level of thought, feelings, and insight previously hidden to those around her. She defies incredible odds in a world where nonspeaking individuals have limited chances to develop agency. The world needs to hear from more autistic advocates like Emily who challenge our misguided assumptions about autism.
Bookreporter.com
"I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is an important landmark of a book. For autistic people and their caretakers, loved ones and other advocates, it is a hopeful story of what happens when you don’t give up and provide love and assistance to all the weary pilgrims on such a difficult road….It is a story of understanding. It is a straight and true story of a young woman’s journey to selfhood and her parents’ undying love and belief in her. I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is a celebration of the best possible kind."
Library Journal
03/01/2021
In this debut, Valerie Gilpeer writes a compelling narrative of motherhood, and her daughter, Emily Grodin, offers insight into how she began to express herself late in life, having been born with nonverbal autism. Gilpeer writes candidly, without falling into self-pity, and her early chapters offer personal reflections as well as resources for families affected by autism. Insight into the authors' lives becomes clearer midway through, when Gilpeer becomes more involved in disability activism. In alternating chapters, she effectively describes the difficulties she faced securing Emily's care, from institutional hurdles within the educational system to marital discord and social isolation. Perhaps the most moving part of the book is when Gilpeer recalls seeing her daughter type her thoughts for the first time. The sections Grodin contributed are engaging; she focuses on her successes and her determination to change perceptions around ASD in order to improve the lives of others. VERDICT In the epilogue, Grodin writes, "I am with you." And now, because of this book, she is with all of us. An impactful memoir of self-discovery.—Allison Gallaspy, Tulane Univ., LA
Kirkus Reviews
2021-02-08
A memoir of autism in which a young woman finds her voice after being unable to effectively communicate until her mid-20s.
“For the past 25 years I have been trapped inside a body without a voice.” So writes Grodin, who is able to do so after learning to type with a communication device. Gilpeer, her mother and co-narrator, opens with a fraught incident in which Grodin had been enrolled in special courses at UCLA but had an altercation with a caregiver that required police intervention. “We made it through this incident, but what about tomorrow?” she writes. “We needed to plot a course forward for her, establish how she’d make her way in this world when [her father] and I would not be present as her mediators.” Moving back and forth across time, Gilpeer recounts how she and her husband became aware of Grodin’s emerging condition, which involves a series of “issues with the central nervous system, and the best way to diagnose and characterize the condition was through noting disturbances with motor functioning—impairment to speech, social interaction, and eye contact.” A dominant emotion in the autistic person is fear born of frustration; for parents, chronic anxiety reigns. Both authors write in detail of the “stims,” or “self-stimulatory behaviors,” that autistic people exhibit, including rocking, spinning, or making unusual noises. Sometimes, this behavior frightens those who do not understand that, as Grodin relates, these are the only avenues of communication available to the autistic person. “Rocking is like my security blanket,” she writes, whereas hitting herself in the head is “me wanting to hurt myself for not being normal.” Now that another path of communication has opened, Grodin expresses her dedication to achieving certain goals: among them, starting an exercise routine, learning about her Jewish heritage, and going on a date.
Parents of children with autism will find gentle, helpful guidance in these pages.
