Saving Adam [Paperback]

L. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2001

My name is Adam. I was trained to keep silent and still. As children around me played games–I watched. As they studied and learned–I colored pictures.

I never knew my parents. I was told I had siblings, but I doubt they knew I existed. The Government became my parent as I bounced among foster homes. I figured this was a normal life. I was kept busy coloring pictures with crayons.

My physical needs were met but my soul ached for nourishment. At some point the normalcy I was born with began to ebb. My future was denied. I was figuratively chained and locked away from the world just as though I had been banished to a dungeon. The “retarded” label was placed upon me until I found the key to that dungeon–or more accurately, the key found me.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Saving Adam is one of the most powerful stories I have read. I can't think of a more important message... -- Lee Nelson, Author, The Storm Testament

“Stories of compassionate people who care for the helpless give us hope. Saving Adam is one such story... -- Amy Winter, Author, My Child is Wise

Product Details

• Paperback: 63 pages
• Publisher: Cedar Fort (March 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555174809
• ISBN-13: 978-1555174804
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,096,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Special Needs
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Parenting & Families > Adoption

More About the Author

L. Smith is the father/daughter team of Les Smith and Loni Smith Schneider. We are often mistaken for each other on paper as Leslie is more often considered a girl's name and Loni, or Lonnie, is more often considered a boy's.

Les was raised in a small farming community in Southern Idaho, the 2nd of 6 children. He held degrees in Communications and Law, spoke several languages and was an attorney by trade. He served a 2-year religious mission in Africa. Upon his return home, he married his high school sweetheart and they had 10 children. He was an avid reader and scholar with a quiet demeanor, a sly smile and a quick wit. Les has since passed away.

Loni was raised in a small suburban town in South Jersey, the 4th of 10 children. She majored in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing. She married her best friend and North Jersey rival and they have 4 "Mary Poppins" children together (practically perfect in every way). She is very active in her community, volunteering extensively in her children's schools and working as a substitute teacher, being dubbed both "Coolest Sub in the District" and "Coolest Mom on the Planet" by her admiring students. ;) She is a political activist for restoring our nation's Constitution as the Founding Fathers intended and runs a web site in her community, which focuses on Politics, Education, Community and Food Buying Groups. She lives with her family in Utah.

"Saving Adam" was their first and last published book together. It won the publisher's Critic's Choice Award and was their #1-selling book the first month of its release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saving Adam, October 28, 2002

By 

Caryn Weston (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saving Adam (Paperback)

Saving Adam was a book that can be enjoyed for the purity of human love it provides for the reader. When one is looking for the "perfect" family situation to put a child into, they don't always find what is considered "normal" for everyone. Adam thrived because he was loved, accepted and given the opportunity to grow with his family. Biology doesn't insure that a child will be loved and taken proper care of. I laughed, I cried, I loved every word of Adam's story. It is sad only that he has to wait to be reunited with his Mom in Heaven. They had such little time together, but it was quality. Who could ask for more from a parent/child relationship? I recommend this book to anyone that needs to be reminded how lucky we are to have the loving families that we do and to never take advantage of the love we are given so freely by our families.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Poem to the Universe, August 6, 2002

By 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson "Author 'This is the P... (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Saving Adam (Paperback)

"Saving Adam" by L. Smith is one evening's read that will stay with you. Told primarily from the viewpoint of a woman for whom perseverance and faith are bywords, I was inspired to read it through to the end in one sitting.

A tad short on some of the writing skills we are accustomed to finding in memoirs, this story works for me. It is told with humor, the language is spare and the protagonist is a woman in charge of her own destiny. It also does not preach. It simply tells the story of a woman who loves and, in doing so, affects the lives of those around her.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that this book should be turned into a movie. Darn right! The central character is any novelist's or screenwriter's dream.

"Saving Adam" is, in short, a poem to the universe without a single poetic phrase between its covers.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Someone should make this into a movie!, August 21, 2001

By 

Kathleen Sharkey (Moorestown, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saving Adam (Paperback)

Saving Adam is an inspirational story that will move the reader to reevaluate the way the system treats its disadvantaged children. The author draws you into the story with a prose style that is clear and economical which allows you to concentrate on the emotions. As a teacher, I found this book particularly informative. Anyone who has ever looked for a hopeful light in today's world will find this a wonderful read. The positive message that it puts forth is a much needed commodity in our world today. I would especially recommend it to educators.