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Harmony
Unavailable
Harmony
Unavailable
Harmony
Audiobook9 hours

Harmony

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel, a taut, emotionally wrenching story of how a seemingly "normal" family could become desperate enough to leave everything behind and move to a "family camp" in New Hampshire--a life-changing experience that alters them forever.

How far will a mother go to save her family? The Hammond family is living in DC, where everything seems to be going just fine, until it becomes clear that the oldest daughter, Tilly, is developing abnormally--a mix of off-the-charts genius and social incompetence. Once Tilly--whose condition is deemed undiagnosable--is kicked out of the last school in the area, her mother Alexandra is out of ideas.

The family turns to Camp Harmony and the wisdom of child behavior guru Scott Bean for a solution. But what they discover in the woods of New Hampshire will push them to the very limit. Told from the alternating perspectives of both Alexandra and her younger daughter Iris (the book's Nick Carraway), this is a unputdownable story about the strength of love, the bonds of family, and how you survive the unthinkable.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 2, 2016
ISBN9780735288614
Unavailable
Harmony

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Reviews for Harmony

Rating: 3.5933333333333333 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

75 ratings11 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alexandra and Josh Hammond sell everything in D.C. and move to Camp Harmony, New Hampshire, following an unusual educator who promises to help them learn how to parent their young daughter who has been diagnosed with PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). Tilly has been suspended from public and private schools because of behavior problems, and the move seems to be their only alternative. The story is told from the point of view of Alexandra, Tilly and the younger daughter, Iris. Very well done story of the school problems facing children who are are "different" and the hopeless feeling of their parents.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Harmony had many good things going for it. Beautiful writing, a detailed description about Tilly's place on the autism spectrum, and depiction of a warm relationship between sisters, one of whom suffered a mental health disorder. The reader also learns how how difficult it is for a mother to cope with Tilly's disorder. Each chapter traded voices between Iris, the healthy sister, the mother and, my favorite, Tilly. My problem with the book was that other characters were not fleshed out at all. Most significantly, Josh, the father. While I understand the mother's decision to attend Camp Harmony, I never had insight into the father's reasoning. Two other families were important and I never felt like I knew them. The trajectory of Scott, the leader of Camp Harmony, was pretty much predictable. I feel like this book could have benefited from 100 more pages and perhaps a less predictable ending.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I listened to this as an audio book.Chapters are presented from identified points of view of Alexandra, the mother, Iris, her neuro-typical 11 yr old daughter, and Tilly,the 13yr old somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Alexandra's chapters tend to be reflective, and focused on past events leading up to the current situation. Iris's chapters depict current events and how she reacts. Tilly's chapters are imaginative recreations of history.As a parent of an adult son on the spectrum (tho nowhere near as inclined towards academics, nor as verbal) I found the book very moving and thought-provoking. I kept critiquing the ways in which Alexandra's thoughts and experiences differed from mine, but also recognizing the similarities in the ways we both reach out for whatever latest approach offers hope to make a difference in our child's life.The ending really took me by surprise, even tho I could see that there were hints of a problem which I wondered how it would come to light, because I had been considering whether this book was a fictionalized account of a residential treatment I had heard about. Wrong assumption. But it did give me a heads-up to carefully research what I expose my son to.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This story about family had some really unique characters in it. The story was well constructed, it just was not for me a story that begged to be read. There were twists in the story that I had not foreseen happening. I might in the future give this author another try at entertaining me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The absolute best book I've read this year! I couldn't put it down. I picked it up because it takes place in my state but there is so much more to this story...right down to the very last words. Loved it!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 All parents can relate, times when your child or children are so frustrating you feel at the end of your rope, or wish you had one handy. For many this is a temporary state but for others, those with more challenging children the frustration in ongoing, often causing unbearable stress on the parents, their other children and on the marriage itself. This is where Alexandra finds herself, her daughter Tilly, diagnosed with an unspecified disorder on the autism spectrum. Brilliant mind but unable to censor what comes out of her mouth, her actions, her tantrums, and lastly her safety, all cause concern. So when Alexandra, now desperate hears the words of Scott Bain, she grabs on to them like a life saver. Is Scott Bain who he says he is, an educator, a man who has the answers. Is the camp they start, Harmony, a camp for challenging children, a camp or a cult? Narrated alternately by Alexandra, and her younger daughter, Iris, we lear not only what went before but how they view the camp. One can feel the desperation of Alexandra, the confusion of Iris. This is a well written and engrossing read. A look into the challenge a parent of children who are different face daily. On of which I have not first hand knowledge.The last chapter was just beautiful, representing the wishes of mothers everywhere.ARC from Netgalley.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Harmony is about an autistic spectrum child named Tilly Hammond. She has a younger sister named Iris and her parents are Alexandra and Josh. Her parents are nearly at the end of their rope with regard to controlling Tilly's behavior. They meet a man named Scott Bean, who invites them to help him set up a camp in New Hampshire for families with special needs children. The story is told from the perspective of Alexandra and Iris, with some chapters from Tilly. The novel ends with an interesting twist. The novel is a good insight to families dealing with children with special needs.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting premise with 3 POVs. Just had a long debate with someone who argues that autism and the whole spectrum is "democratic make believe". I don't think I'll be pushing that friendship forward.From the Publisher:From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dogs of Babel, a taut, emotionally wrenching story of how a seemingly "normal" family could become desperate enough to leave everything behind and move to a "family camp" in New Hampshire--a life-changing experience that alters them forever.How far will a mother go to save her family? The Hammond family is living in DC, where everything seems to be going just fine, until it becomes clear that the oldest daughter, Tilly, is developing abnormally--a mix of off-the-charts genius and social incompetence. Once Tilly--whose condition is deemed undiagnosable--is kicked out of the last school in the area, her mother Alexandra is out of ideas. The family turns to Camp Harmony and the wisdom of child behavior guru Scott Bean for a solution. But what they discover in the woods of New Hampshire will push them to the very limit. Told from the alternating perspectives of both Alexandra and her younger daughter Iris (the book's Nick Carraway), this is a unputdownable story about the strength of love, the bonds of family, and how you survive the unthinkable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Hammond family leaves their home in DC to live in a small cabin and campground run by Scott Bean, a self-professed child behaviorist. Tilly, the oldest daughter, is a special needs child, one who has struggled to fit in and abide by societies rules. Iris, the younger daughter, is “normal.” Thirteen people come together to live and work at Camp Harmony, creating their own type of family.The book alternates between Iris’s point of view and Alexandra’s, the mother. While the book caught my attention, it felt really unfinished. I wish the author had stuck with Iris’s point of view or included some of the other people living at Camp Harmony. This may have helped the story line and sense of completion. Overall, an interesting book, but not one I would re-read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Hammond family, parents Josh and Alexandra, and daughters Tilly and Iris, live in Washington, DC. Tilly, the eldest, has been diagnosed with autism and has been asked to leave the last school that had worked for her for awhile. This is when she turns to Scott Bean. Bean is a self-proclaimed child behavior specialist who has decided to open a camp open to families like the Hammonds who are willing to give up their current lives, move to the woods of New Hampshire and submit to Bean’s guidance. This where the feeling of dread starts to creep into the reader, I know I was muttering, "don't do it, don't do it". This book certainly held my interest.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Carolyn Parkhurst has placed her new novel, Harmony, in a rather typical creepy camp cult setting. That’s not to take away from her message, which is quite strong and I believe, effective. The Hammond family, parents Josh and Alexandra, and daughters Tilly and Iris, live in Washington, DC. Tilly, the eldest, has been diagnosed with autism and as it appears to Alexandra, exhausted not only the rest of the family, but all remaining available resources. This is when she turns to Scott Bean and Camp Harmony. Bean is a self-proclaimed child behavior specialist and Camp Harmony is open to families like the Hammonds who are willing to give up their lifestyles and move to the woods of New Hampshire and submit to Bean’s guidance. This is where it gets creepy, but I also think understandable. Tired, terrified and desperate, filled with love for her daughter, Alexandra grasps for what appears to be that last lifeline. The Epilogue made up for my quibble that I felt the book rather predictable. It’s beautiful.