| Words From the Wise
Dr. Benjamin Spock applauded Eleanor Weisberger's, "sympathetic understanding of both the child's and the parents' difficulties, and the way she could present the problem in clear, sensible, human terms--without jargon." Professor of Pediatrics Dr. John H. Kennell calls Weisberger, "a superb child therapist who has chosen a very clever design--letter exchanges between an experienced child therapist and a new mother--to present the supportive tone and the precious time-tested guidance of a masterful professional."
Like Kathe, the mentor in her new book, Eleanor Weisberger is a seasoned professional, having spent many years as a social worker in children's welfare; then training at University Hospitals in Cleveland with professionals in social work, child psychology, and psychiatry; teaching (with Dr. Spock) courses in child development; and maintaining a private practice in child therapy.
Weisberger's first two books on child care were in the traditional style. Now she takes her knowledge of child care and combines it with her skill as a writer to give us Letters from Nin, a thoughtful, humorous epistolary novel between two intelligent and warm women on the subject of child care, motherhood, womanhood, feminism, and a whole family of related issues, such as the loss of a parent, friendship between generations, sibling rivalry, career-versus-family, in-laws, and much more.
As a mother and grandmother, Weisberger's own experiences with her daughters as they became mothers led her to the idea of creating a book that would impart information and wisdom about child rearing in an informal, conversational way. She is very aware of the challenges facing new mothers today in combining child rearing and career, and integrating the needs of the entire family harmoniously. As Weisberger says, "There is nothing automatic about a child's emotional, intellectual or ethical development. Since the human infant is incomplete at birth, the kind of care given such an infant makes a significant difference in what happens later. This was something taken for granted in an earler time, but seems to have gotten lost today, where financial issues are real and where career opportunities for women (long overdue) have taken center stage. My book tries to address the fact that we are seeing unintended consequences for this lack of understanding of what children need to grow. In my view this is not a 'woman's issue,' it's a man's issue as well, and needs addressing by all of us."
Letters from Nin shows adult parents who develop and grow as their infant grows. By the end of the book the young mother has become a much happier, more fully realized person, in spite of and thanks to motherhood. And also thanks to her loving mentor, whose letters help her every step of the way.
Eleanor Weisberger is assistant clinical professor of child therapy at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a child therapist in private practice. She is the author of Your child and You (Dutton, 1975) and When Your Child Needs You (Adler & Adler, 1987). She lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Visit Eleanor Weisberger's own website! |
