As a speech pathologist, I was instantly drawn to Katherine Preston’s debut novel. Out With It details Preston’s life as a stutterer, yet it’s so much more than a book about stuttering. Preston’s story focuses on family and friendships, love and pain, happiness and acceptance. It’s an inspiring read for anyone facing life’s difficulties.
With a warm and friendly tone, Preston makes her experiences interesting, intimate and candid. Many of Preston’s recollections had me either laughing out loud or wiping tears from my eyes. Preston’s interviews with countless Americans who stutter (some famous and others not) provide helpful insight into the fluency difficulties so many face. Out With It includes resources and websites to organizations for people who stutter. This is a well-written, informative and enjoyable read.
For interested readers, there was an author interview by the Today Show which may be viewed at http://www.today.com/books/out-it-author-recounts-lifelong-struggle-speech-disorder-6C10588109
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Atria
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 2 religious exclamations; 12 mild obscenities; 3 scatological words; 1 anatomical term;1 f-word derivative.
Violence/Gore: Mention of a man who commits suicide.
Sex/Nudity: A few incidents of kissing; a sexual reference.
Mature Subject Matter:
Underage drinking and alcohol dependency, smoking, bullying, discrimination
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Drinking and smoking occur.


