Jennifer Celeste Briggs’s memoir, Watching Sarah Rise, is a deeply personal and unflinchingly honest account of her journey in parenting a daughter with special needs. At its heart, it’s the story of a mother’s fierce love, persistent hope, and tireless effort to help her daughter Sarah grow, connect, and thrive in a world that often sees difference as deficiency. The book chronicles their family’s embrace of The Son-Rise Program, a child-centered approach to autism therapy, and how it transformed their lives. Blending storytelling with reflection, Briggs invites readers into her daily struggles and hard-won triumphs, painting a full and textured picture of both the heartbreak and the joy of parenting outside the norm.

I was moved from the very first pages. There’s a raw, grounding honesty in the way Briggs writes. She never pretends to have it all figured out. She’s vulnerable, tired, sometimes angry, sometimes thrilled, and always full of love. The writing doesn’t hide behind big words or try to be poetic; it’s just real. That’s what hit me hardest. She describes small moments with her daughter, spelling out “milkshake,” playing with candles between their toes, as if they were miracles. And you know what? They are. You start to see what she sees. Sarah’s progress becomes your progress, too. I also appreciated that Briggs doesn’t sugarcoat the toll, emotional, physical, and mental, that caregiving takes. She talks about the crying in the kitchen, the fights, the loneliness. But there’s always a thread of grit and warmth that carries you through.

What surprised me most was how inspiring the ideas in this book are, not just for parenting, but for life. The Son-Rise Program is about joining someone in their world, instead of pulling them into yours. That hit me like a brick. What if we all tried that more often, with everyone we love? I kept thinking about how much better the world would be if more of us acted with that kind of patience and respect. And it’s not just philosophy, Briggs shows how it plays out in real, messy, funny, frustrating, beautiful ways. It made me reflect on my own beliefs, my own judgments, and even how I show up for the people around me. That’s the mark of a good book: it changes how you see.

If you’re a parent, especially one raising a child with special needs, this book will speak to you like a friend who really gets it. If you’re a teacher, therapist, or anyone working with kids, it’s a reminder to lead with heart. And if you’re just someone who wants to understand more about love and growth and resilience, this book has a lot to teach. Watching Sarah Rise is not just about autism. It’s about listening. It’s about choosing to believe in possibility, even when everyone else says don’t bother. And it’s about rising, not just Sarah, but all of us.

Pages : 320 | ISBN : 978-1647428242