A Different Life: Growing Up Learning Disabled and Other Adventures

Born with a hole in his heart that required invasive surgery when he was only three months old, Quinn Bradlee suffered from a battery of illnesses—seizures, migraines, fevers—from an early age. But it wasn't until he was fourteen that Bradlee was correctly diagnosed with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS), a widespread, little-understood disorder that is expressed through a wide range of physical ailments and learning disabilities.

Ten percent of the population is affected by a learning disability, but few of us understand what being learning disabled (LD) is really like. In this funny, moving, and often irreverent book, Bradlee tells his own inspirational story of growing up as an LD kid—and of doing so as the child of larger-than-life, formidably accomplished parents: long-time Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and bestselling author Sally Quinn. From his difficulties reading social cues, to his cringe-worthy loss of sexual innocence, Bradlee describes the challenges and joys of living “a different life” with disarming candor and humor. By the end of A Different Life he will have become, if not your best friend, one of your favorite people.

Quinn Bradlee attended Landmark College, American University, and the New York Film Academy. He has made a series of short documentary films about children with learning disabilities and rare genetic syndromes, and he has launched a website to create a community for LD kids and their families. He lives in Washington, D.C.

www.friendsofquinn.com

Jeff Himmelman assisted Bob Woodward on Maestro and Tim Russert on Big Russ and Me. He has worked on other book projects as an editor and author. His reporting and writing with Woodward helped The Washington Post win the Pulitzer Prize for its post-9/11 coverage. He lives in Washington, D.C.