I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust

A Memoir of Autism and Hope

By: Valerie Gilpeer, Emily Grodin

Narrated by: Sara Morsey

A remarkable memoir by a mother and her autistic daughter who’d long been unable to communicate - until a miraculous breakthrough revealed a young woman with a rich and creative interior life, a poet, who’d been trapped inside for more than two decades.

“I have been buried under years of dust and now I have so much to say.”

These were the first words 25-year-old Emily Grodin ever wrote. Born with nonverbal autism, Emily’s only means of communicating for a quarter of a century had been only one-word responses or physical gestures.

That Emily was intelligent had never been in question - from an early age she’d shown clear signs that she understood what was going on though she could not express herself. Her parents, Valerie and Tom, sought every therapy possible in the hope that Emily would one day be able to reveal herself. When this miraculous breakthrough occurred, Emily was finally able to give insight into the life, frustrations, and joys of a person with autism. She could tell her parents what her younger years had been like and reveal all the emotions and intelligence residing within her; she became their guide into the autistic experience.

Told by Valerie, with insights and stories and poetry from Emily, I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust highlights key moments of Emily’s childhood that led to her communication awakening - and how her ability rapidly accelerated after she wrote that first sentence. As Valerie tells her family’s story, she shares the knowledge she’s gained from working as a legal advocate for families affected by autism and other neurological disorders.

A story of unconditional love, faith in the face of difficulty, and the grace of perseverance and acceptance, I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust is an evocative and affecting mother-daughter memoir of learning to see each other for who they are.

©2021 Valerie Gilpeer and Emily Grodin (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Brilliant and moving

Valerie is the mother. Emily is her non-verbal daughter with autism. Valerie and her husband, Tom, advocate fiercely and relentlessly for Emily. They know she is bright and capable of far more than the "experts" believe. Emily's poems and essays alternate with Valerie's accounts of the minutiae of daily life: the small breakthroughs, the major miracles.

The real deal

I can’t speak to Emily’s experience as a person with autism, although her story is fascinating, but I do know what it’s like to raise an atypically abled child. Valerie pulls few punches here. Chapter 9 is appropriately scathing about what it takes to get our children their right to a basic public education—like squeezing blood from a stone month after month, year after year. Chapter 9 should be required reading for every elected public representative in the U. S. We already have kids that take 25 times the work and 100 times the commitment of neuro/physically typical kids. Why does the public education system fight to make our work there 1000 times harder too? Don’t they see the payoff down the road is lots of people who are less dependent, less disruptive, requiring fewer lifetime resources, incurring fewer injuries and lost workdays, etc. even transforming as Emily has into wealth producers and influencers who inspire and educate the typical students who share classrooms with them.

Interesting

I bought this book on a whim since it was on sale and I had seen a woman at my vets office with an Autism shirt on. Glad I did. Eye opening.

Powerful!

A rare and insightful glimpse into a very unique family and rare woman grappling with a more than common issue facing parents and children today. My family knows some of this struggle as well as the beauty of having a miraculous child on the spectrum. I have come to feel a bit sorry for families that do not have a special angel in their family, but I really appreciate Valerie’s sharing of the pain, isolation, loneliness, stresses on relationships, etc. A must read for anyone wanting to have their mind expanded to the possibilities of unique individuals.

I’m a special education teacher

This is an amazing story! A mother that doesn’t give up and knows what her daughter needs. Always assume competence. Pay attention and children like Emily and they will inspire us to do extraordinary things!