Book Review: My Thirteenth Winter, A memoir by Samantha Abeel

This is the story told by a young woman who in her thirteenth winter was finally diagnosed with dyscalculia, a math disability.  Abeel struggled in school, not as much with reading, but with things like counting, numbers, telling time, counting and keeping track of money, understanding distances, understanding basic math and understanding sequences in grammar or sequences in athletics and dance. 

She tells how in the beginning of her school experience she earned a reputation as a smart and creative kid because she understood the first concepts needed for reading, and her imagination along with her ability to understand people and what would please others guided her.

It was not long, however, before she was coming home from school crying, and she had become withdrawn and was floundering in school with learning all kinds of new things.  She describes her memories of her early struggles with fractions and telling time.  In general, everything was moving too fast for her, and she soon lost her reputation as one of the smart kids. She began to lose confidence in herself.  She was placed in a special education math class.  She was able to memorize the times tables, but the applications were a mystery to her.

In her thirteenth winter, once she was diagnosed and understood the problem, she started a journey to discover her strengths and to regain hope.  With determination she changed her life.  She tells her story with humor and great insight from her vantage point as an accomplished young adult, who does, by the way, still have some struggles, but also has a fulfilling life.

If this sounds familiar, this book is for you. This book will be helpful and encouraging for anyone wanting to understand how a person with dyscalculia experiences life and how to help.  I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written story of triumph over adversity.  It is published in a scholastic edition suitable for youth and has received the Schneider Family Book Award.