Hello everyone! Today I would like to tell you about where at 17 on my way I met the amazing autobiographical book by Alan Marshall “I can jump puddles”, today, many years later, I re-read it and decided to share it with you, since I didn’t really see it in any book blogs.
The author of the book simply described the story of his childhood. The son of a wild horse trainer, he suffers severely from polio as a child, forever losing the ability to walk. It would seem that when reading such stories, you constantly need to cry and be sad, but this is not about Alan's life.
Surprisingly, the book, for me personally, did not impress as a story of incredible courage and willpower, as many characterize it. There was simply no feeling that Alan was overcoming anything, there was a feeling that an absolutely ordinary child (and he considered himself such) was growing up, trying something new and reaching for new heights. And the only thing that upset him was the pity and sympathy of those around him, who needed them much more than the boy himself.
I was surprised to see tears in her eyes, and I wanted to comfort her, to say that I felt sorry for her. I wanted to give her something, make her smile, make her happy. I have always noticed this sadness in adults who have spoken to me. Try as I might, I was unable to share them with my happiness. They held on tightly to their sadness. I could not understand the reasons for this.
This is a story about how you can crawl, overtaking friends who are running. This is the story of a father who teaches a handicapped son how to fall softer from a horse and how to win a fight on crutches, instead of representing him as a crystal vase and a mother who considered her son a real man. This is the story of Alan, who was the best swimmer of all, and Alan, who lived a full and happy life. This story is absolutely real.
The boy who dreamed of becoming a writer became one.
The only thing I do not agree with is that the book is recommended to be read by young children (from 7-8 years old). I do not think that such a plot, devoid of dynamics and a rather difficult syllable in places, will captivate a small child.
I am familiar with polio. A member of my family had been ill with it in childhood, escaping very easily with partial paralysis of the arm, but everyone still remembers this hospital horror and fear of irreversible consequences. And there, in the hospital, not all adults were as brave as Alan.
did you read? Did you like it?