Born with a hole in his heart that required invasive surgery when he was only three months old, Quinn Bradlee suffered from a battery of illnesses—seizures, migraines, fevers—from an early age. But it wasn’t until he was fourteen that Bradlee was correctly diagnosed with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS), a widespread, little-understood disorder that is expressed through a wide range of physical ailments and learning disabilities.
Ten percent of the population is affected by a learning disability, but few of us understand what being learning disabled (LD) is really like. In this funny, moving, and often irreverent book, Bradlee tells his own inspirational story of growing up as an LD kid—and of doing so as the child of larger-than-life, formidably accomplished parents: long-time Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and Washington Post columnist and bestselling author Sally Quinn. From his difficulties reading social cues, to his cringe-worthy loss of sexual innocence, to developing an interactive website for the LD community, Bradlee describes the challenges and triumphs of living “a different life” with disarming candor and humor.
A remarkable story of coming of age, A Different Life is also an insightful reflection on what it means to be different. By the end of this unforgettable memoir, Quinn Bradlee will have become, if not your best friend, one of your favorite people.
Praise for "A Different Life"
“A Different Life is a marvel—a stunning rocket of honesty about growing up learning disabled. As Quinn explains his frustrations, dreams, set-backs and triumphs, he also explores with humor and sensitivity the difficulties in even a loving family's dynamic of dealing with their son. The portrait that unfolds is not so unlike that of many a family—his father loving but firm and wanting to fit him for the world and a mother who does everything in her power to protect him from the emotional and physical suffering he often endures. Yet through the heartbreak shines Quinn's hopefulness and kindness and spills onto us all. This book is for everyone.”
—Kate and Jim Lehrer
"A deeply unsettling, but ultimately triumphant story that will break your heart and then put it back together."
—Bob Woodward and Elsa Walsh
“A Different Life should be required reading for parents and their children alike. Quinn Bradlee may have a different life but he’s giving us all lessons in courage, parenting, humor, honor and the kind of personal honesty that makes him and his story so memorable and endearing. High fives to my main man, Quinn.”
–Tom Brokaw