Writing

My debut book, She Will Never...

She Will Never - book cover

She Will Never… is my honest, funny, and moving story of daily life with a visual impairment in a family of mixed visual abilities. My husband is blind and our teenage son is fully sighted. 

The book will raise funds for the Nystagmus Network, who help to research my eye condition and support others facing the same challenges as me.

My book-writing journey has been truly incredible, and to top it all off, best-selling international author, Andy Bounds, has written my foreword.

Illustration of Amanda watching children play in her primary school playground

Synopsis

I have been visually impaired since birth. This book contains my story. It is funny, honest and moving, with practical tips for those facing sight loss at any age. My visual impairment has never changed, and will never change, but by changing my attitude I have been able to live my best life – and to change the attitudes of others too.

There is nothing wrong with my brain, and nothing wrong with my eyes. It is my optic nerve that is not formed properly. Basically I just need a new USB cable.

Overview

‘When I was only a few weeks old, my parents were told –  “She will never thread a needle, she will never drive a car, she will never fly an aeroplane.”

Just so you know, there is nothing wrong with my eyes, and nothing wrong with my brain. It is my optic nerve which is damaged – basically I just need a new USB cable!

My story begins with the trauma of my birth, through to challenges at primary and secondary school. At the age of seventeen, I went to Worcester College for the Blind to study for my A Levels. There I learnt about the social model of disability – as the environment removed many of my challenges and I had more useful sight than most of the other students. I left the College with three good A levels and a fiancé.

The book then covers my challenges when I emerged again into the sighted world until I finally gained my Law Degree. Ten years later I was Departmental Head of HR for Nottingham City Council – I had made it and proved all the doubters wrong! But I hated the role. In the same year I suffered two miscarriages.

Illustration of Martyn watching Amanda walk by

My husband lost his sight altogether in 2006 – and I realised I was pregnant again. We learnt to be parents in our own particular way – with some wonderful support. I took voluntary redundancy and started my Will Writing business. My visual impairment precludes me from driving, so I worked with Access to Work to provide funding for drivers or taxis to take me to clients’ homes. We now live as a family of mixed abilities:

  • my husband is totally blind
  • I am still visually impaired
  • and our teenage son is fully sighted – and will be driving us around in a few years’ time.

We make the most of our abilities and work well as a team.

The book gives a true picture of what it is like to live with a visual impairment, which is invisible to others. As well as the story, it includes signposting to organisations who can provide help and support for people facing sight loss at any age, to be able to reach their full potential. It also explains the social model of disability, and how family, friends, colleagues and managers can reduce the physical and psychological barriers faced by visually impaired people every day, or indeed by anyone with a “disability”.

Illustration of love at first sight between Martyn and Amanda

Blind archery is great fun – just get the dog out of the garden first!

Key messages from the book

  • Do not be afraid to ask!
    Most people with a disability will be happy to tell you what help they need.

  • A small change can make a huge difference.
    A change in lighting, or the size of a screen can make the difference between incapacitating eye strain, and comfort.

  • My sight changes from day to day, and from hour to hour – depending on lighting conditions, how tired or stressed I am, how much reading I have done that day – or for no reason at all. Do not be surprised if I ask for help today for a task I completed easily yesterday.

Foreword by Andy Bounds

Self-development books are funny things…

Some contain lots of stories and experiences.  They’re engaging reads.  But they can feel too much like the author’s personal story. They’re hard to take life lessons from.  After all, the author’s life is different to ours!

Whereas other books can be more the other way – lots of practical tips, but without the emotional pull.

But Amanda has managed to create a book that nails both!  I emotionally connected with everything she wrote.  But, equally importantly, I now have lots of new techniques I can use after reading it.

The thing which hit me – and kept hitting me – is that our lives are basically shaped by:

  1. What we do
  2. What is forced on us, whether we choose it or not
  3. How we react to both

And, although you may not have Amanda’s visual impairment (an example of point 2 above), you’ll have your own stuff that impacts you.  Much of which you wouldn’t choose.  And how successfully you react to these will play a huge role in how successful your life will be. 

Andy Bounds
Best-selling international author, Andy Bounds

There’s more from Andy in my book. Subscribe to my mailing list to be among the first to hear about my launch date.

Meet Amanda

Read about Amanda Harris, the author of, “She Will Never”

Event speaking

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