The Maria Effect
Ratings1
Average rating4.5
15
Ratings1
Average rating4.5
Mike had managed to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a stand-up comedian in the San Francisco comedy scene of the 1980s. He was appearing on television and rubbing shoulders with the big stars of the day.
“I had the honor and privilege of sharing the stage with two comedy legends that night, Bobcat Goldthwait and the aforementioned one and only Mr. Robin Williams."
His future was bright and the last thing he needed was a woman to come along who would shake his ideas of what true happiness was. But, come along she did, daring him to achieve something even greater than fame and fortune.
“As we casually chatted and my adrenaline rush began to diminish, I became completely enthralled with this smart, confident, funny, beautiful woman, and I soaked in everything she had to say.”
Then, when his daughter, Maria, is born and develops low-functioning autism, Mike is presented with the most daunting challenge of his life.
“For Laurine and I, it was nothing short of torture just hoping to wake up from this nightmare as we watched Maria, so rapidly, slipping further and further away from us and deeper and deeper into her own mysterious and troubled world where I couldn’t go to get her.”
Will Mike crumble under the weight of what’s now expected of him or will he rise to the occasion and find the true meaning of success and fulfillment?
Reviews with the most likes.
The Maria Effect by Mike Guido
Audiobook Platform: Audible
Narrator: Kevin Torres
The Maria Effect is a story about a comedian father whose daughter was born with Autism during a time when very little was known about this developmental disability and even less support was available to those individuals or loved ones. Through love and perseverance, Mike moves mountains as he builds a world where his daughter can live and be loved.
The story emphasizes the power of love and its ability to change people for the better. This is very much a “make them laugh, make them cry” type of book, and allowed me to reflect on my own life and loved ones who have had similar experiences to Mike and his family. The story helped me better appreciate how unique, yet normal Maria and her family are. Yes - individuals with Autism will face many challenges throughout their lives which others will never face. However, the emotional experiences that make all of us human remain the same. We all experience love, anger, sadness, regret, and forgiveness. This story underlines all of it and is a great reminder that we are all on the same journey.
