This memoir is more than just your typical account of a person’s life. It also includes beautiful pictures on almost every page that were taken by the author. I enjoyed how colorful and happy the addition of photos made this book. Even when a situation seemed dire, there was a bright picture of the author or one of her family members to focus on that helped ease the sense of pain that this story emanated at times.

Having never experienced having a family member with any sort of disability or birth defect, I could not relate personally with this touching story. The way Kelle voices her concerns and feelings in this touching story makes it a little easier to imagine what she went through with the birth of her second child. She is brutally honest and raw, and writes her experiences out in a clear and resounding voice that make this book a pleasure to read. If you want an inside look into the life of a family that has been blessed with a child with Down Syndrome, Bloom is an ideal choice. I know I am glad I read it.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  2 religious exclamations; 4 mild obscenities; 3 anatomical terms; 1 f-word derivative.

Violence/Gore:  None

Sex/Nudity:  The author recounts some of her memories, one of which finding out her dad is gay.

Mature Subject Matter:

Disabilities/Birth Defects

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults drink alcohol throughout the book.