Customer Reviews
Heart-breaking and uplifting at the same time 
2008-06-13
This is a story of tragedy, love and the humorous foibles of life. It is also expertly written, easily approachable and best of all, thoroughly enjoyable.
I initially wondered whether I'd walk away from it more forlorn than uplifted, but that wasn't the case. Schuyler, by simply being her beautiful, innocent self, proves that life does indeed go on, and that although pain might exist, so does joy, gratitude and hope.
Highly, highly recommended.
Great Book 2008-06-11
I really liked this book after finding via "others buy" on Amazon from another memoir. Its well written, engaging, and interesting. The only thing I am not sure about is the monster metaphor. I'd hate for that little girl to think she has a monster in her. That would have terrified me as a kid. I get the metaphor, but its not so much a menacing third party in her brain as a malformation (nicely- genetic road less taken!) that makes her very unique. It's a great story anyway- I wish her and her family all the best.
Outstanding Memoir of Fatherhood - not a "Blog Book!" 2008-06-09
I'd been reading Rob Rummel-Hudson's blog for a long time when I bought Schuyler's Monster, so I pretty much knew Schuyler's story. All the same, I couldn't put the book down. It's a terrific, well-structured memoir; not bloggy at all, definitely not recycled, and it digs deep into topics that will be new and suprising to even the most regular of Rob's blog readers.
It's a little different from some memoirs about childhood medical challenges, because the focus is just as much on fatherhood, and what it means to be Schuyler's parent, as it is on Schuyler herself. Rather than being a look inside the world of a wordless child, it's a look at what it takes to give a wordless child the right, and the words, to live in the same world as her parents. For this reason I think it's a treasure for any parent of a special-needs child, but it's also a good read for anyone involved in or contemplating parenthood.
Amazing book---both extremely readable and extremely honest 2008-05-24
A friend of mine, a fellow traveller on what the author hilariously calls "The slow boat to Amsterdam" (if you have a child with special needs, you'll get it!) read this book first, and told me she couldn't go to sleep before finishing it. She gave it to me, and the same thing happened---a very rare thing in a household where everyone prefers to wake at 5am, so we go to sleep early!
This book has so much than many books about a child with special needs don't have. It's funny, laugh out loud funny sometimes. It's honest---no saint parents here, but the love, unconditional, strong enough to almost kill you, love comes through the pages so well. It's hopeful but realistic, and it's sad and also extremely happy and triumphant about the prospects for a child with a monster in their brain, and I do love that term.
I think my favorite thing about this book is that the author and his wife are NOT RICH. I don't know why it almost seems like a pre-requisite to writing a book about a child with special needs that the parents be very well off. The best example is when the parents decide Schuyler needs a $10,000 communication computer. The school district won't buy it. In so many books I've read, this would be dealt with by a passage something like "it was a bit of a stretch, but we knew how important it was and spent the money to get it". Well, for most of us, a bit of a stretch is getting the extra-large pizza instead of the large---spending $10,000 on a devise is not a stretch, it's impossible. The way people who didn't even know Schuyler came through to get the computer is one of the best reasons to not lose hope in the human race.
I have a daughter who is 3, and like Schuyler, has sometimes been diagnosed with autism, at other times, we've been told she certainly is not autistic, but no-one has a clue why she is the way she is. She talks, but in a very limited way, on her own terms. She sings long complicated songs but has never answered a yes or no question. She is an amazing girl. I sometimes just sit back and marvel at her, when I let myself. But I also cry often, and wish so much that I knew what her particular monster is. I want to thank the author from the bottom of my heart for putting some of my feelings to words.
Don't Judge This Book, Or This Girl, By Its Cover 
2008-05-18
100+ pages. That's how long it takes to find out just exactly what "Schuyler's Monster" is... unless of course you cheated and read the book jacket.
Robert Rummel-Hudson crafts a hauntingly beautiful story of unconditional love for a little girl he describes as "broken," shifting back and forth from moments of sheer frustration to simple pleasure, all of which are touching and heart-wrenching at the same time. Unfortunately "Schuyler's Monster" reads much more like a memoir of a father ill-equipped to deal with a special needs child than it does the journey of Schuyler herself, a tenacious and rambunctous pixie stuck in a world that prides itself on conformity (perhaps best then that Rummel-Hudson moved his family from the Stepford New Haven town to the much more accepting and diverse Austin!).
For those first hundred something pages, there is mention of the fact that Schuyler is different; she has trouble with potty-training, some motor skills, and she doesn't speak at all. However, the majority of the content there is dedicated to Rummel-Hudson, filled with anecdotes about his work and even his background and love of writing at a young age, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. His words are elegant, poetic, and real; each page feels like a personal conversation with the man and deep look into his psyche. It's just not what was expected from a book sub-tagged as "A Father's Journey With His Wordless Daughter."
Perhaps it is because Schuyler is still so young and has so much ahead of her that is still unknown, then, that she is almost a supporting player to Rummel-Hudson's growth within his book. Perhaps it is because while lacking in communication, he can't quite accurately document how she has been affected by her differences (he makes few assumptions and absolutely no judgments, which is refreshing coming from a father!). If anything, "Schuyler's Monster" certainly paints a clear picture as to just why this little girl is so remarkable; she has turned her father, the author, into a much better man simply by giving him something special on which to focus. I was just expecting a story that was a little more about the process of dealing with doctors, special needs classrooms, speech pathologists, and strangers who just didn't understand. "Schuyler's Monster" definitely touches on all of that, but for some reason I was expecting a little more... and for the telling to be a little less self-indulgent. Rummel-Hudson has been a writer since 1995, blogging about everything from his hometown to his little girl's diagnosis, and I guess at times this book seems to be a little more for him, a little more about him, than Schuyler and her monster. Perhaps it is fitting, then, because just like Schuyler herself, there is more to this book than meets the eye; it is not exactly what it seems to be, and you certainly can't judge it by its cover!
"I can't fix this for you." 2008-04-30
Schuyler’s Monster is an honest, funny, and heart-wrenching story of a family, and particularly a little girl, who won't give up when faced with a monster that steals her voice but can’t crush her spirit.
When Schuyler was 18 months old, a question about her lack of speech by her pediatrician set in motion a journey that continues today. When she was diagnosed with Bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria (an extremely rare neurological disorder caused by a malformation of the brain.), her parents were given a name for the monster that had been stalking them from doctor visit to doctor visit and throughout the search for the correct answer to Schuyler's mystery. Once they knew why she couldn’t speak, they needed to determine how to help her learn. They didn’t know that Schuyler was going to teach them a thing or two about fearlessness, tenacity, and joy.
Schuyler’s Monster is more than the memoir of a parent dealing with a child’s disability. It is the story of the relationship between a unique and ethereal little girl floating through the world without words, and her earthbound father who struggles with whether or not he is the right dad for the job. It is the story of a family seeking answers to a child’s dilemma, but it is also a chronicle of their unique relationships, formed without traditional language against the expectations of a doubting world. It is a story that has equal measure of laughter and tears. Ultimately, it is the tale of a little girl who silently teaches a man filled with self-doubt how to be the father she needs. Schuyler can now communicate through assistive technology, and continues to be the source of her father's inspiration, literary and otherwise.
2008-04-24
"We were talking, about all the space between us." -- George Harrison, 1967
"The shortest distance between two or more minds is that of one's real voice." -- BeatleBangs1964
Robert Rummel-Hudson chronicles his life alongside that of his daughter, Schuyler. Schuyler, who was born on December 21, 1999 was the high note to a new and happier point in Rummel-Hudson's life. At that time, Rummel-Hudson had recently remarried after a marriage he described as being devoid of passion to a "perfectly nice" woman who was not his soulmate. From all outward appearances, his marriage to Julie appeared to be on rock solid footing.
Readers learn a lot about Rummel-Hudson. One of 3 siblings, he unflinchingly describes his mercurial relationships with his siblings and their late father. He takes a forgiving tone when he said that his immediate family "used the tools" they had at the time, but the end results were the fault of no one. I like that.
Rummel-Hudson, unlike Julie wanted to know his baby's gender. While Julie was convinced they'd have a son whom she'd name Jasper, Rummel-Hudson never divulged that he had the medical staff tell him Schuyler's gender from the sonogram. As a concession to Julie, Rummel-Hudson buys a large toy bear whom they call Jasper in anticipation of their first child.
The name Schuyler was chosen for a daughter as a nod to her Dutch heritage. As she grew into her first year and not into speech, her name became even more meaningful. She was the unexpected trip to Holland when the travelers were planning to go to Italy. She was the unexpected source of treasures when another type of treasures were expected.
I thought it was so adorable that Schuyler had an aversion for stuffed toys during her infancy. She had an adverse reaction to Jasper the Bear and refused to have anything to do with it. I also thought it was quite adorable when Schulyer "coldly" tossed a doll back into a Christmas gift box her first Christmas. In time, she appeases her father by playing with Jasper. Even then, she carries the toy in an inverted position, never seemingly sure quite how he wants her to play with it. Since she didn't like stuffed toys, it would have been a better idea not to get them for her and to put the ones she had away instead of leaving a few out. I didn't like the way the stuffed toys were seemingly pushed on her. She was very adamant in how she felt.
Schuyler's absense of speech and speech development became alarming over the course of her first year. Tests failed to yield any diagnosis or treatment plan that seemed viable. By 2003, Schuyler got to do some traveling - a move from her native Michigan to New Haven Connecticut and a later move to central Texas. It was in 2003 that Schuyler was diagnosed with the congenital condition of polymicrogyria, which Rummel-Hudson calls her "monster." A monster is a fear of the unknown; often, an amorphous or grotesquely shaped oddity that inspires fear. The "monster" in this case was a rare condition that robbed Schuyler of her ability to speak.
One cannot help but feel cheered by Rummel-Hudson's love for and final acceptance of his child. Julie mourns Schuyler not having siblings as she fears any subsequent child will have polymicrogyria. In addition to the delayed speech, Schuyler shows some developmental lags as well. She was nearly 5 before she mastered toileting and other self-care skills.
Schuyler appears to accept herself as she is and her peers in the various schools she attended appear to enjoy her as well. One setback Schuyler encountered was when her speech teacher refused to learn sign language so that Schuyler would have this method of communication. Another setback Schuyler encountered was when her school refused to buy a device called the "Big Box of Words." The device involved typing on its screen, which then activated the "voice" that the words trigger. Rummel-Hudson's faithful network of bloggers on his website band together and raise money for the Big Box.
Schuyler and family find their niche in Plano, Texas which is in the Dallas area. Schuyler is described as thriving in the Plano school district and even has fun with her Big Box. Schuyler's humor develops as she jokes and plays with expressions and things she found funny. She fills the metaphysical space between herself and others with her newfound voice! She liked making monster noises with it and even unleashed anger at another child who mocked her on a playground. At last, Schuyler found her own voice!
Having one's own voice is a large part of one's identity. Being able to communicate by whatever means necessary one's true thoughts and feelings and reactions instead of merely echoing the party sentiment is very empowering. It also engenders respect and helps one to forge their own identity.
"Within You, Without You," a 1967 masterpiece by George Harrison is the soundtrack that underscores this book. Schuyler's story is about acceptance and paternal love. "When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find that peace of mind is waiting there. " -- George Harrison, 1967
Funny and touching!!!!!! 2008-04-10
This is a great book, surprisingly funny and heartbreaking. A detailed look at what's it's like for a parent to face the "monster" of a child's disability and through his speechless daughter learn of a different way to look at the world.
Magnetic, Captivating Schuyler 2008-04-09
It wasn't until I actually met Schuyler and her parents that I was interested in this account. After that disclaimer, I must report that I cannot put Rob's book down. The agonizing and constant nagging feeling that something is just not right with your daughter, and the worlds--no universes--that a father would move to fix "It," are so clearly and rawly portrayed in Rob's journals. Nothing is prettied up for the audience. We ache and hope against hope that everything will turn out okay for this mesmerizing child who has so much to teach us.
Just spending an April afternoon with Schuyler and her ready, trusting spirit (revealed in her quick, engaging smile) truly enriched my life. God speed.
Schuyler's Monster 2008-04-01
Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter
An excellent touching account of a father's struggle with himself and his daughter's disability. I found this book hard to put down.I think this book would resonate with anyone who may have a disabled child.
