Book Review

Erik’s Story, finding his gift’s against all odds in rural Alaska
 By Linda Kay Thompson
 Publication Consultants, Alaska, $17.95

Review By Bob Davis Editing (and Review)
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Live Oak, TX 78233
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            Erik’s Story, by Linda Kay Thompson, is not just another book by a mother about her mentally retarded son and his life.  While Erik, a Down’s Syndrome child, has a major part, the book itself is so much more than just the story of his life.  It’s a tale of love, caring, hardships, challenges, but, most important, Erik’s Story is a message of hope. Erik’s subsequent success clearly sends a message of hope to others like him.  After all, we initially see Erik as a soft spoken, shy young man faced with what most folks consider a limited, hopeless future.  Fortunately for Erik, his mom isn’t most folks.  Nor are those people in whom she places her trust to do what is best for her family.

We meet Thompson’s family in Palmer, Alaska, in 1997 where the single mother of two works as a substitute teacher for the Alaska Job Corps, instructing in everything from normal subjects like math to the less normal themes like carpentry.  Previously she’d worked as a K-12 teacher in the remote Alaskan bush country, but gave it up hoping to give her boys a better life in Palmer when Erik reached high-school.  At 49, Thompson’s debt-free, owns a beautiful 3,600 square foot double-insulated solar home with all the modern amenities (her own design), but other aspects of the better life haven’t worked out. Her job forces them to live month-to-month for such things as food, medical and dental care, and other normal life expenses. Naturally, Thompson’s worried about the future. She wants a regular contract teaching job with benefits and a steady income; something to provide her a good retirement and a secure future.  No doubt much of her concern stems from the fact both her boys face special challenges, particularly Erik. Unfortunately, the Palmer situation doesn’t offer the type of stability the family needs.
 
        Erik, in his late teens, is the oldest.  Being a Down’s Syndrome child, Erik speaks little, is shy and soft spoken around others, but quickly reacts to disruptions to his orderly world. Academically challenged, he spends a great deal of time with books and color markers, diligently working in coloring books for long periods.  But, confronted with change, he’s more likely to retreat into himself, rocking gently oblivious to his surroundings, than to acknowledge the world around him.

Then there’s Christopher, four years younger than Erik. Chris, a bright active youngster, is hearing impaired.  Smart and quick-witted, Chris is clearly a normal teenager in all other respects.  Although a great help with his brother, Chris wants his independence. He likes hanging around with his friends, playing games, and the like. He’s not particularly fond of school, but he loves music, especially the bagpipes he’s working so hard to play.

 This is the situation when Linda Thompson accepts a job teaching special education Kenny Lake, a community so small and remote it’s not even on a Rand McNally atlas. The contract’s good for a year, but unfortunately, it means leaving the great house in Palmer and living in their camper for a few weeks, before finding other less than great living quarters. They’ve clearly left the amenities of Palmer for the rugged life in the Alaskan wilds.  Life where hauling water to fill a 500 gallon tank to have a semblance of running water, chopping wood daily to prevent freezing, and similar challenges are part of the daily experience.  Add to that the fact the temperature can drop to 50° below zero (that’s right minus 50°) and life is clearly a challenge.  Yet, Kenny Lake offers Thompson a chance to be Erik’s teacher and to concentrate on his individual education plan (IEP)

 But Kenny Lake also proves to be a Godsent.  It’s here that Erik’s seemingly hopeless future becomes one of great promise.  For it’s in Kenny Lake, Thompson and others discover Erik has a special talent.  It started simply enough with his coloring in coloring books.  Then, he learned to trace pictures and color them.  But when given the chance to draw and color his own pictures, Erik finds a way of sharing his view of the world through his art.  It didn’t come about overnight, but rather as a slow, tedious process that resulted in Erik’s art being introduced literally to the world. Along the way, Thompson learns a great deal, copes with Chris deciding he wants to live with his dad, and meets some wonderful people.

 The message of hope comes from the fact that after all is said and done, Erik’s making a go of his art business.  He’s now had showings across the lower 48 as well as a number in Alaska.  What started simply as a thought of having him create cards became a prize winning art form that supports him.  Brown Bear Products (check out his website at BrownBearProducts.biz) shows what can be done with love, persistence, and faith.  Thanks to his mom and all those wonderful people who saw beyond his limitations, Erik David Behnke has a great future.  Read how he got there in Erik’s Story.