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Overview
Ten percent of the population is affected by a learning disability, but few of us understand what being learning disabled (LD) is really like. When he was fourteen, Bradlee was diagnosed with Velo-Cardio-Facial-Syndrome (VCFS), a wide-spread, little-understood disorder that is expressed through a wide range of physical ailments and learning disabilities. In this funny, moving, and often irreverent book, Bradlee tells his own inspirational story of growing up as an LD kid—and of doing so as the child of larger-than-life, formidably accomplished parents: long-time Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and bestselling author Sally Quinn. From his difficulties reading social cues, to his cringe-worthy loss of sexual innocence, Bradlee describes the challenges and joys of living “a different life” with disarming candor and humor. By the end of A Different Life he will have become, if not your best friend, one of your favorite people.
Synopsis
A frank, funny, inspiring memoir of growing up with developmental and learning disabilities—and famously accomplished parents
The Washington Post - Kate Tuttle
Bradlee's book brings a bracing honesty to the tough stuff he's faced, and a sweet enthusiasm toward the things that make him happy, from surfing to his childhood dog. He doesn't sugarcoat how difficult difference can be, but there's no pity here, and no complaint.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
In the first entry of his first blog, the author of this memoir introduced himself: "My name is Quinn C. Bradlee and I have been diagnosed with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and VDFS." That unpretentious candor is evident on every page of this memoir. Quinn is the son of former Washington Post executive editor and journalist Sally Quinn, but the worth of A Different Life doesn't reside in its affectionate portrayal of his parents. (The book's title and subtitle, however, are clever plays on his father's memoir A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures.) Quinn's winning honesty, buoyancy, and zest for life make this book a fine choice for readers of other first-person books about disabilities.Kate Tuttle
Bradlee's book brings a bracing honesty to the tough stuff he's faced, and a sweet enthusiasm toward the things that make him happy, from surfing to his childhood dog. He doesn't sugarcoat how difficult difference can be, but there's no pity here, and no complaint.—The Washington Post