Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book
Review: A friend of mine told me about this book - I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own, I'm more inclined toward the "Master and Commander" approach - and I loved it. It's a thoughtful, moving, un-put-downable memoir that says a lot about parenthood and the human spirit.
Rating: 
Summary: Ache, Laugh, and Cry
Review: Anyone who has been a daughter or a mother will ache, laugh, shudder, cry and rage along with the author of this searingly honest memoir. Eleanor Vincent tells the story - often poignant, sometimes harrowing - of her daughter's life and death and the relationships that shaped their family. This is more than a book about mourning the life of a beloved child. It is a book that examines and celebrates life. Bravo.
Rating:
Summary: Dads make a difference!
Review: I am Maya's second cousin, her Dad "Jeff" was my first cousin. I have many memories of "Jeff" and his family. I, like Ellie, also raised a daughter alone. Although our stories differ, there are a few common threads, like: kids need their Dads! I would hope that a few men would read this and see what an absolute "must" it is for them to be in the lives of their kids, as good as we "Moms" are, God did not intend for us to do this job alone.I have the cutiest pictures of Maya and my daughter Melanie at Easter time many years ago, Maya, like Melanie, got a ton of giftness from her Dad - even tho absent in her daily life. Maya was a "spark" just like her Dad was. Why life takes such strange and curious turns is not always clear to us. But, know that as a believer in Jesus' saving grace, we can trust our heavenly Father to know the map way out there that we can't see. I know it isn't easy - that's why it's called faith. God bless you Ellie for being able to relive this account over and over! God after all, is love! And, as sad as it is, it happened to you, a writer!
Rating:
Summary: Dads make a difference!
Review: I am Maya's second cousin, her Dad "Jeff" was my first cousin. I have many memories of "Jeff" and his family. I, like Ellie, also raised a daughter alone. Although our stories differ, there are a few common threads, like: kids need their Dads! I would hope that a few men would read this and see what an absolute "must" it is for them to be in the lives of their kids, as good as we "Moms" are, God did not intend for us to do this job alone. I have the cutiest pictures of Maya and my daughter Melanie at Easter time many years ago, Maya, like Melanie, got a ton of giftness from her Dad - even tho absent in her daily life. Maya was a "spark" just like her Dad was. Why life takes such strange and curious turns is not always clear to us. But, know that as a believer in Jesus' saving grace, we can trust our heavenly Father to know the map way out there that we can't see. I know it isn't easy - that's why it's called faith. God bless you Ellie for being able to relive this account over and over! God after all, is love! And, as sad as it is, it happened to you, a writer!
Rating:
Summary: A inspirational story
Review: I loved this book. Keep a box of tissues handy. Well written and riveting, this book gets too close in describing the tragic loss of a child.
Kudos to Ms. Vincent
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was very disappointed with the book. While the subject of Maya's donation was slightly covered, the author spent the majority of the book describing her various problems with relationships from her family of origin through her various husbands and boyfriends and the guilt she felt in her parenting of both Maya and Maya's younger half-sister. Her treatment of donation was sparse at best, focusing more on her own less-than-comfortable relationship with one of the recipients and her various speaking engagements. As the parent of a child who was also, at the age of 17 a donor, I found myself saddened that more attention wasn't paid to Maya's story and legacy and less to the writer's need to describe her conversations with her therapist. A wonderful opportunity to educate and encourage others about the gifts of donation - for both donor families and donor recipients - was missed.
Rating:
Summary: directly affected me
Review: my mother was the recipient of maya's liver. without this wonderful woman's brave desicion i wouldn't have a mother today. i recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how the desicion to donate organs can truly affect every aspect of numerous people's lives. thank you Mrs. Vincent.
Rating:
Summary: directly affected me
Review: my mother was the recipient of maya's liver. without this wonderful woman's brave desicion i wouldn't have a mother today. i recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how the desicion to donate organs can truly affect every aspect of numerous people's lives. thank you Mrs. Vincent.
Rating:
Summary: "Swimming" is a spectacular achievement
Review: One might think a memoir about the death of a daughter, and the donation of her organs, would be depressing. Vincent's vivid prose and difficult psychological insights transcends her intense grief as she brings us deep into her world. Her journey tracks backward and forward in time as she slowly understands more fully her relationships with her two daughters, various boyfriends, her own parents, and finally herself. This is a remarkably moving testament to the power of loss, love, and living. Full disclosure: I met Eleanor a few years ago in a writing workshop.
Rating:
Summary: An unforgettable journey through darkness and light
Review: Swimming With Maya: A Mother's Story is the heart-rending true story of a mother who lost her beloved young daughter, yet was able to attain some consolation in knowing that the daughter's organs brou- ght life to others. An emotionally sweeping testimony, brimming with loss and longing in its gradual journey toward acceptance, Swimming With Maya presents its emotion in clear, raw terms that reach out to touch the heart. An unforgettable journey through darkness and light.
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