Debut local author Jennifer Sager will read from her book, “Steph’s Story,” at Dog Ears Books in Northport on Thursday, August 13, beginning at 4 p.m.
Following her short reading, she will take questions from the audience.
Sager is a retired teacher and second child in a family of three girls. She never thought she would write a book and told me, “I don’t consider myself an author,” but when she began the story of her older sister, Steph, born with Down’s syndrome, she just couldn’t stop. Doctors told Steph’s parents she would only live about two years and should be institutionalized. The parents, however, kept their firstborn at home and subsequently added two more girls to their loving family.
Steph lived to be 63 years old, and her life was a journey of love and learning for her family. Obviously, there were challenges as the family sought an appropriate and affordable balance between care and independence for Steph.
Available assistance and programs for disabled children and adults change from one year to the next, as do the needs of those to be served.
Bookseller Pamela Grath says that the main lessons she drew from Sager’s book were about love, adaptability, and persistence. Author Jenny Sager says she still misses her sister. “We had so much fun!”
Dog Ears Books is located at 106 Waukazoo St. in Northport. For more information, call (231) 386-1033.
