The Unlikely Village of Eden

By: Emma Nadler

Narrated by: Lisa Larsen

A hopeful memoir about adapting when life doesn't go to plan, redefining family, and creating your own path.

One afternoon, Emma Nadler gets a call from her daughter's doctor that changes her life forever. Faced with the realities of raising a child with a rare genetic condition, Nadler must confront her preconceptions of motherhood and her perfectionistic beliefs.

Nadler—who also happens to be a psychotherapist—offers a rare window into the unconventional ways she and her family adapt to their improbable path. Every relationship in her life—with herself, her husband, children, friends, and even clients—is reimagined as she navigates the heartbreak and hilarity of her daily life.

As she and her husband join the 53 million caregivers in the US, Nadler wrestles to belong in a society that devalues both caregivers and people with disabilities. She challenges the scripts that mothers should be martyrs, or that self-sacrifice is a necessary component of love. Nadler illustrates the complexity, grief, and joy of living an unexpected life, all with the wisdom of a therapist, the heart of a loving parent, and the ingenuity of a queer woman who refuses to be shackled by cultural expectations.

©2023 Emma Nadler (P)2023 Tantor

A book for all the caregivers

This book is a must read for any parent, caregiver, teacher, therapist or human. Life doesn’t go to plan for most of us and she nails that with this book. On top that she seals it with humor that helps the reader to laugh with her and see that really there are two ways to look at everything. That sometimes it’s about figuring out how to just move forward. It is a story that will help many others.

Bad narration. Interesting and honest story.

The narrator was terrible. She sounds like an AI bot. It’s unfortunate because the story is captivating. The author deals with all the honest and heart wrenching challenges of her situation. It’s a book that will make you wonder: What if I were in her shoes? Who would I be? How would I handle it?

I finished in 2 days and loved every second of listening

This book was written so well. I loved the truth and honesty of Emma and her life.
As a parent to a girl with a disability, this resonated so very much with me.
I couldn’t stop listening!