2 minute read
EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE UP SIDE OF DOWNS
EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS
The Up Side Of Downs
By Lisa Palermo Matto
The Up Side Of Downs is a newly released book written by first-time author Lisa Palermo Matto. It chronicles life with her daughter Marlee, who has Down syndrome. Don’t get stuck on the diagnosis; that’s not the storyline.
Marlee leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets. She is a lovable heroine who mischievously leads the book’s cast of characters into hilarious predicaments the reader will not soon forget. It is an easy read with vivid dialogue and short vignettes — Tuesdays with Morrie-style. It is a compilation of funny, touching stories that celebrates inclusion, family, neighbors, and community. It is sure to make you laugh, cry, and feel better about the world. Lisa begins by taking the reader back to when her family was about to grow from a party of three to a party of four. Marlee arrived with the usual delivery room fanfare. Ten minutes would pass before the doctor would explain that Marlee had Down syndrome. His words hung in the air. What did this mean? Marlee didn’t seem different from any other baby they had ever seen. It was at that moment they decided there would be no limits placed on her.
Some of Marlee’s escapades include her breaking and entering into a neighbor’s home, hijacking a golf cart in the Bahamas, and unlocking the phone of a friend’s unsuspecting Dad and leaving 50 selfies on his camera roll.
Marlee approaches every day with excitement and enthusiasm. Although her zest for life has gotten herself and her family into some sidesplitting, sticky situations, she has also profoundly touched many lives. She lives her life in the moment with purpose and grace, inspiring everyone around her to be better.
TO PURCHASE: https://www.amazon.com/Side-Downs-Lisa-Palermo-Matto/dp/B08WZH5479
Lisa Palermo Matto lives in Central New York with her husband and two children. She graduated with a B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego and received her teaching certification from Le Moyne College. Lisa spent many years teaching middle school English and is presently a youth minister and motivational speaker. While she always has her passport ready to travel, Lisa is happiest in her kitchen surrounded by family and friends, dishing up homemade pasta, sauce, and her family’s renowned pizza recipe, made famous by her late Uncle Shuffles. This is Lisa’s first published work.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMarleeAdventures/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisamatto, https://twitter.com/upsideofdowns11?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarleeadventures/, https://www.instagram.com/lisamatto1/?hl=en YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-zIZgFCN6Mb47LCLfESKA