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She's the Same
Pregnant teen Kate O'Conner purchases a ticket to the end of the line on the next bus leaving the local Greyhound bus station. She has never heard of Palmetto, North Carolina, but it's as far from her judgmental hometown and disappointed parents as her boarding pass will take her.Rescued by Al Riley, Palmetto's beloved doctor, and his housekeeper, Comfort, Kate settles into this idyllic town on the Pamlico Sound to await the birth of her child. Even Kate says she feels as though she has fallen into a Hallmark movie. But the movie ends abruptly when Kate gives birth to twins, Riley and Bailey.Bailey has Down syndrome.Kate Wants desperately to be the perfect mother for her children, but it is the innocence and wisdom of six-year-old Riley that teaches Kate all the really important things she needs to know about parenting.
295 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2023
About the author
Padgett Gerler
8 books33 followersBorn on the coast of South Carolina and raised in the mountains of Virginia, I relocated to the Piedmont area of North Carolina in the 80's to attend college. After graduating with a BA in accounting, I became a CPA and practiced accounting in the public and corporate sector. In 2010, when my passion for writing leapt ahead of my passion for accounting, I quit my career to write full time. I love the southern voice and the southern experience, so I write about the south, from the mountains to the coast.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2023
I was blessed to have read this book before it hit the stands. This is the story of a young woman named Kate whose life changes in ways she never could have imagined when she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl with Down syndrome. She leaves her family and her other life behind, believing, at first, that she can manage it all on her own. Soon realizing that this isn't possible, she finds herself surrounded by those who love Kate unconditionally, and take her and her family under their wings. She's the Same offers the reader a chance to see that it really does take a village to raise the best children.
In my own life, having friends with these special children has been a wonderful experience for me, and reading this book is no different. I fell in love with little Bailey, just as everyone in her life does, and enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes, even when things didn't seem fair, or didn't seem manageable.
Kate's story reminds us of the beauty in all things. It reminds us that we are all perfect, no matter how we are put together: Difference, it turns out, is the most beautiful human characteristic of all.
In my own life, having friends with these special children has been a wonderful experience for me, and reading this book is no different. I fell in love with little Bailey, just as everyone in her life does, and enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes, even when things didn't seem fair, or didn't seem manageable.
Kate's story reminds us of the beauty in all things. It reminds us that we are all perfect, no matter how we are put together: Difference, it turns out, is the most beautiful human characteristic of all.
December 16, 2023
In this heartwarming tale of a young unwed mother raising twins in a small Southern coastal town, we meet Bailey, a girl with Down syndrome who tackles the world with boundless energy and determination. Her insistence that she can be the same as anyone else powers her success and builds friendship and support in all who meet her. Padgett Gerler is a master at portraying the idyllic potential of life in a small town, and readers may be tempted to pack up and move to the community she creates here. If you’re looking for a gentle, uplifting story full of love and mutual support, be sure to pick this book as your next memorable read.
January 24, 2024
This is a warm, bighearted story of a found family and a town that embraces and uplifts a little girl with Down's Syndrome. Before reading the book, I knew little about Down's Syndrome. Afterwards, not only did I come away with a far better understanding of the condition, I developed a newfound respect for people like Bailey, the cheerful little girl at the heart of the story, who have learned to cope with daily challenges in order to live fulfilled lives. The optimism and kindness of the community in She's the Same is inspiring, as is the maturity of the adults in Bailey's life, especially Bailey's mother, Kate.
February 13, 2024
This is a fabulous, heartwarming, feel-good story about a girl who never, ever gave up and the support and love from her family and friends. What a journey!
Everyone should read this book and let's bring it to the teens to read and talk about as well!
It is just wonderful!
* Emotional , Happy Tissue Alert*
Everyone should read this book and let's bring it to the teens to read and talk about as well!
It is just wonderful!
* Emotional , Happy Tissue Alert*
April 29, 2024
Family comes I all colors, shapes, and sizes
Oh my gosh, I LOVED, She's the Same! Padgett Gerler never disappoints me. I could not put this book down. It has so many wonderful relationships. Of course, the ending brought tears to my eyes. If a book can make me cry? It is definitely a 5 star read!
Oh my gosh, I LOVED, She's the Same! Padgett Gerler never disappoints me. I could not put this book down. It has so many wonderful relationships. Of course, the ending brought tears to my eyes. If a book can make me cry? It is definitely a 5 star read!
July 21, 2024
I loved the book. It's a tender story about characters who grow individually and as a family -- a family from different mothers and different fathers. Ms. Gerler develops her characters in the round. We see and appreciate sides.
Parts of the books were pretty emotional for me. Numerous times, there wasn't a dry eye in my head.
Parts of the books were pretty emotional for me. Numerous times, there wasn't a dry eye in my head.
March 24, 2024
SHE'S THE SAME is an uplifting tale about the power of family and belief in oneself. Padgett's beautiful writing made me feel as though the story was holding me in its arms as I read. I cried happy tears multiple times as I celebrated with Kate, Riley, Bailey, Al, Comfort, and Mom Mom.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews