Overview

Hazard is a poignant, unflinching memoir of the emotional intricacies of growing up with a severely disabled sibling. Margaret Combs shows how her Southern Baptist family coped with lived reality of autism in an era of ignorance and shame, the 1950s through the 1970s, and shares her own tragedy and anguish of being torn between helping her brother and yearning for her own life. Like many siblings of disabled children, young Margaret drives herself to excel in order to make up for her family's sorrow and ultimately flees her family for what she hopes is a ""normal"" life. Hazard is also a story of indelible bonds between siblings: the one between Combs and her sister, and the deep and rueful one she has with her disabled brother; how he and she were buddies; and how fervently she wanted to make him whole. Initially fueled by a wish that her brother had never been born, the author eventually arrives in a deeper place of gratitude for this same brother, whom she loves and who loves her in return.

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9781510715318

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Reviews

In her hauntingly authentic memoir, Margaret Combs tells the story of a childhood turned sideways by the discovery of her young brother's autism. Hazard is a poignant family portrait that is still shot through with light and a profound narrative poise... This family memoir will hold you spellbound. --Brenda Peterson, author of I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth In this achingly honest, courageous memoir, Margaret Combs will break your heart and then mend it again as she unfolds her story of growing up with an autistic brother. There are some harsh realities here, but like Mary Karr in The Liars' Club and Jeannette Walls in The Glass Castle, Combs infuses hope and humor into even the most harrowing scenes. I couldn't put it down. --Holly Robinson, author of Beach Plum Island, Folly Cove, and The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: A Memoir

In her hauntingly authentic memoir, Margaret Combs tells the story of a childhood turned sideways by the discovery of her young brother's autism. Hazard is a poignant family portrait that is still shot through with light and a profound narrative poise... This family memoir will hold you spellbound. --Brenda Peterson, author of I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here on Earth In this achingly honest, courageous memoir, Margaret Combs will break your heart and then mend it again as she unfolds her story of growing up with an autistic brother. There are some harsh realities here, but like Mary Karr in The Liars' Club and Jeannette Walls in The Glass Castle, Combs infuses hope and humor into even the most harrowing scenes. I couldn't put it down. --Holly Robinson, author of Beach Plum Island, Folly Cove, and The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: A Memoir Margaret Combs never gave up on Roddy, her brother born with autism, and Roddy never gave up on her. Unflinching and bold, Hazard is the story of a loving family finally making it despite the odds stacked against them. --Daniel Friedman, author of The King of Chicago: Memories of My Father

Author Information

Margaret Combs is an award-winning journalist who began her writing life as a National Public Radio reporter and education correspondent for the Boston Globe. She is a recipient of both the Associated Press Award for Arts Reporting and the United Press International Award for Best Documentary. Excerpts from her book have appeared in literary magazines, including the North American Review (NAR) and Lost Magazine. She was a finalist for the NAR's 2015 TORCH Memorial Prize. She lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

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