Kelle Hampton

As Kelle Hampton and her husband prepare to welcome their second little girl, they have no idea that lovely Nella, new little sister to their beloved Lainey, will present more new challenges — and opportunities — than they could ever have imagined.

Born with Down syndrome, Nella’s condition was a complete shock to the Hamptons . . . especially Kelle, who was suddenly forced to reconcile the dreams she had for the “sister” relationship her daughters would share and left to grapple show more with how a special-needs child would impact her family. In her honest, raw accounts of the early days of Nella’s life and where her family is now, Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected is a captivating, soul-soaring story of a mama whose love for her children knows no bounds.

Hampton is a blogger, writer, photographer — all talents immediately evident at her blog, Enjoying the Small Things. Nella’s story begins as a post in January 2010, and the Hamptons’ lives are forever altered by her arrival. What becomes immediately obvious in Kelle’s retelling is this mother’s pure, raw and unfiltered ability to draw you into her family’s story . . . and hold nothing back.

I’m going to be honest with you, just as Kelle is honest with us: her reaction to Nella’s Down syndrome was tough to read. She painfully describes the days and nights following her daughter’s birth, in which she writhed and sobbed and questioned her faith. I felt physically uncomfortable hearing Kelle’s reaction, but the story is obviously a retrospective. We understand that Kelle doesn’t feel this way now and, in fact, she frequently mentions her own embarrassment about her behavior. We know how much she adores Nella now — but she doesn’t prune the past. She chooses not to remove the ugly bits, even knowing how ugly they really are.

And that is the power of Bloom: Kelle invites us in, knowing we could judge her. Frown at her. Gossip about her. She invites us in because this story — her story — is an important one to tell, and she wants us to understand that Nella truly is a blessing. Their blessing. And if she couldn’t yet understand it that January night, she gets it now.

Bloom is real, honest, gut-wrenching. It’s thought-provoking — what would I do in this situation? — and it’s painful. It’s also beautiful and realistic and something I couldn’t stop reading, because I have so much respect and admiration for Kelle — and so much jealousy regarding her giant, awesome net of friends (and how they get her through). The women in her life are amazing, and she makes no bones about the importance of their faith, inspiration and guidance in the weeks, months and years after Nella’s birth.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how truly gorgeous this paperback is. As Kelle is a talented photographer, the pictures in Bloom are her own — and each big moment is illustrated with a stunning shot or two. The book is the perfect blend of photographs and narrative, but make no mistake: the words themselves? Super important. This ain’t some picture book with a few captions pasted in, friends; Kelle is a fantastic, engaging writer, and I closed the final page with so much love for her family. The photos tell their own stories, and the book wouldn’t be as powerful without them.

If you appreciate memoirs, stories of family, books that detail adversity and rising above . . . well, I’ve got a book for you. Readers don’t need children of their own to appreciate Bloom and its universal truths about love, life and relationships, though I imagine the story will resonate even more powerfully for parents. This was the type of book I finished and wished I’d read a little more slowly. show less

Received for Review

NOTE: I haven't reviewed a nonfiction book in a long while. I don't read them hardly any more because I like to escape real life for awhile. That being said, every once in awhile I see one that screams to be read----that was Bloom!

What I Loved: I am not a mom. I have furry children but in the world of parenting I am not sure that counts. I am a friend to many people with kids--some of them struggled with infertility, some of them had it "easy" (not easy but no problems show more getting pregnant), and last year one of my very best friends had a baby girl with Down Syndrome. So when I saw this book, I just knew I had to read this story. I cried pretty much beginning to end (happy and sad tears). This story was raw, real, and Kelle Hampton didn't try to make herself out to be "the person who handled everything perfectly". She was brutally honest and I am sure it killed her to put that out to the world that she didn't handle the original diagnoses well. She made up for it in leaps and bounds but still to read that heartbreaking passage of the first 24 hours was just sad. I am sure others will be angry during that part but honestly I was just sad for her, her family, Nelly, her friends. However, I truly believe her acknowledgement of those first days is what pushed her the next 11 months to becoming one of the most prolific bloggers that supports Down Syndrome! It will break your heart,you will cry, and then as the book moves past that you will cry for completely different reasons. There is way more happiness than sadness and Kelle had a brilliant way of getting the story all out there.

What I Liked: The family photos were amazing and how lucky to get those candid shots.

Final Thought: Nonfiction is not for everyone but if you are looking for a truly amazing life altering story---this is for you! show less

What words could I possibly find to give justice to this book? This book had me at hello, or should I say once I removed the outer jacket/sleeve and saw the beautiful hard cover. I am a picture fanatic and this lovely story of a mom and her family includes some beautiful ones! I have one warning... if you do not like to cry in public, read this at home! I carry a book with me every place I go, it helps all of the wait time we have throughout the day and every time I would read just a bit of show more this book, I found myself acting like a leaky faucet. It was quite an emotional roller coaster through sadness and happiness, but it was all so full of LOVE. Sometimes life doesn't give you what is expected and hoped for; sometimes you get something better. A young mother's journey through life with a new baby, who is just a little special, but really more "alike". A beautiful book for a gift and one that you must have for your own bookcase.

Simply put, I love this book. show less

I've had such a range of emotions and reactions while reading this book, it's taken me a while to feel ready to write a review. First, let me echo what others have written: it's an absolutely beautiful book. The feel of it, the weight of the paper--I don't usually notice such things, but it so stands out in this case. And the photos are absolutely wonderful. It's a beautiful, beautiful book.

Now for the more complicated reactions. And let me preface this by saying that I have a nephew who was show more born with Down Syndrome, which no one expected or knew about in advance. So, I have a personal connection to the subject. And reading about Kelle's rollercoaster of emotions and grief over having a child whose life would not match her hopes and visions for her brought a lot of that back to me as well.

And I really appreciated Kelle's honesty, her courage, and her commitment to working her way through her grief to come to the place that many of us are fortunate to reach: the place of recognizing the wonderful, perfect person who has joined our family, who may not have a "typical" life, or a life that matches what we imagined for them. But who have their own wonderful lives.

I guess what I had the hardest time with about this book is that it feels to me that Kelle published it too soon. Her daughter is barely 2 years old. Kelle hasn't had much time to settle in to the "big picture". That being said, she has clearly touched a chord in the DS community(she has been honored by the DS Congress, etc). So, that is a wonderful thing.

I hope she continues to write about the adventures and challenges that will continue to present themselves, as she clearly has an audience and a strong, honest, and lovely/loving voice. show less