If You Could Hear What I See: Lessons About Life, Luck, and the Choices We Make - Hardcover

Buckley, Kathy; Padwa, Lynette

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 052594611X ISBN 13: 9780525946113

Publisher: Dutton Adult, 2001

Synopsis

The author shares her painful childhood of growing up hearing-impaired where she used humor to overcome many obstacles and traumatic events; details the people who profoundly impacted her life and urged her to follow her dreams; and reveals how she used laughter, courage, and pride to deal with life's many surprises. 25,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Kathy Buckley's remarkable life story was the basis of her one-woman show, Don't Buck With Me, which was critically acclaimed and earned her the L.A. Ovation Award for best writing. A five-time American Comedy Award nominee, she has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, and Entertainment Tonight.

Reviews

Buckley, the country's first hearing-impaired comedian and now also a motivational speaker, certainly has the story to back up her words. Buckley grew up in a smalltown Ohio family of noncommunicators who somehow neglected to explain to her the fact of her hearing loss (at age eight, "I still assumed everyone heard the same way I did"). Besides one good friend and one good teacher, her youth was replete with misunderstanding and misery. She halfheartedly attempted self-destructive behavior, was run over by a Jeep, found her first real lover and left him after she was diagnosed, at age 27, with cervical cancer. She rejected a second operation "I decided to take that incredible gift called choice" and changed her diet and her life, most notably confronting the man who'd molested her as a child. She describes affectingly the experience of finding her first effective hearing aid. Then, two-thirds of the way through her tale, she somewhat surprisingly as the memoir up to here is more sober than funny explains that since she'd always used laughter to win people over, she went into comedy and soon added motivational speaking to her performance repertoire. Her message: "get over it and get on with... life." Buckley rebuilds her own relationship with her mother and finds a surrogate family. She urges communication (to break down walls), decries ignorance (which lets people accept unfair labels) and credits God's guidance for putting extraordinary people in her path. Buckley's spirituality might not convince skeptics, but her hard-won victories surely have given her the capacity to see and point others to the bright side. (July) Forecast: Buckley's PBS special will air in August. Audiences know her she is a five-time Comedy Award nominee and the subject of an Emmy-winning documentary and her inspirational story should sell well.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 052594611X
• ISBN 13: 9780525946113
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 241