"A clear-eyed look at the value of a life...What if a life was judged not by its monetary worth or possible economic benefit to society, but as a series of complex and rewarding relationships?"
Globe and Mail
"I am so impressed and so moved to get a copy of The Four Walls of My Freedom...It is a wonderful book which is inspiring, informative, and deeply encouraging. And of course I am also very grateful personally to you for your very kind words. It has been a wonderful pleasure for me to meet you and to learn about and be inspired by your ideas on this subject. Your particular insights and engagements make the general commitment we try to advance so much easier to understand, appreciate, and use as guidance."
Amartya Sen
"I am deeply moved by this book. It is about being human, finding wisdom and learning to live in the face of pain. It is about seeing under the suffering and needs of people with disabilities, their value and beauty, their uniqueness and dignity. This book should be read by all who seek to understand what it means to be human."
Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche
"The Four Walls of My Freedom deals with a very hard situation with realism, grit, and optimism. It will resonate with many."
Margaret Atwood, Twitter: August 4, 2011
"What does it mean to live 'a good life,' and how can we help the most vulnerable people around us to live life to the full? Donna Thomson provides some answers from personal experience in this engaging, challenging, life-enhancing book."
Ian Rankin
"[A] tremendous piece of work. Elegant, honest and inspirational...Caring makes the world go round - it is critical to our individual, family and societal well being."
Vicki Cammack and Al Etmanski, co-founders of PLAN
"Donna Thomson's world changed utterly when she gave birth to a severely disabled son - with a wicked sense of humour...she makes a powerful case for caring to be accorded respect, and demands that we all think about what really matters."
The Times (UK)
"A LIFELONG JOURNEY - What does it mean to be a good mother? How do you know if you are providing your child iwth the best possible quality of life? The Four Walls of My Freedom by Donna Thomson is an honest, intelligent account of raising a son born with cerebral palsy, describing a journey through motherhood where regular road maps don't apply. Loaded with info and insight, this book will resonate with those in a similar situation."
Erin Poetschke, Canadian Living Magazine, April 2011
"In The Four Walls of My Freedom, Donna Thomson traces her family's experience with her son Nicholas' cerebral palsy from diagnosis to his recent 21st birthday. This is the story of the fine balance between caring for Nicholas's physical requirements while nurturing his spirit and tending the needs of the whole family. The personal is political in this book, which is clearly aimed at provoking thought about the rights of persons with disabilities to be valued in society and to live a meaningful life."
Abilities Magazine, Issue 84, Winter 2010/2011
Read Kristina Chew's reactions on Care2.com here
Terri Mauro, Editor of "Special Families" reviews the book at About.com here
"Girl With the Cane" Blog reviews the book here
IN THE PRESS
The Globe and Mail
"Disability Writer Donna Thomson's Clear Eyed Look at the Value of a Life" by Elizabeth Renzetti, Sept 5, 2010
Literary Review of Canada
To read a review of 'The Four Walls of My Freedom', written by Nora Gold and published in the November 2010 issue of the Literary Review of Canada, click here.
The Times UK
Geraldine Bedell interviewed me for a story about my life with Nicholas. It was published in The Times (UK) in September 2010. The first page is reproduced below. Click here to download the full PDF version of the article.
Please note that the photograph and article is the copyright of Times Newspapers Ltd.
Chatelaine Magazine
Nancy Durham's article about me, under the banner of women to watch and entitled 'Fashion Ambassador' was published in Chatelaine magazine in January 2011. A PDF version of the original is can viewed by clicking here. As well as highlighting the work I do to promote young Canadian fashion designers in London and the rest of the UK, Nancy has written some lovely words about the advocacy work I do to champion the rights of disabled people. I'm grateful that Nancy's article will help to spread the word about "The Four Walls of My Freedom" in Canada. Below is a photo from the article and was taken by Anna Bauer, showing me with Canadian fashion designer, Erdem Moralioglu.
Nancy Durham's article about me, under the banner of women to watch and entitled 'Fashion Ambassador' was published in Chatelaine magazine in January 2011. A PDF version of the original is can viewed by clicking here. As well as highlighting the work I do to promote young Canadian fashion designers in London and the rest of the UK, Nancy has written some lovely words about the advocacy work I do to champion the rights of disabled people. I'm grateful that Nancy's article will help to spread the word about "The Four Walls of My Freedom" in Canada. Below is a photo from the article and was taken by Anna Bauer, showing me with Canadian fashion designer, Erdem Moralioglu.