A Child of Eternity :
An Extraordinary Young Girl's Message from the World Beyond
by Adriana Rocha, Kristi Jorde
299 pages
Published by Ballantine Books
Publication date: September 1, 1995
ISBN: 034538945X
Synopsis:
Describes how an autistic child used Facilitated Communication, a
keyboard technique that allows autistics to communicate, to present
revelations about her own past lives, Jesus, the concept of spiritual
masters, and the guides available to help others on the path to
enlightenment.
margaretjoan, 11/2/2001
i have had no personal experience of autisum but was drawn to this book. it is absolutely extraordinary. may the peace of god surround them and all who read it.
Michael McHam, 5/25/2001 important , extraordinary book
Krisi's story, and Adriana's message are compelling and inspiring and I'm so grateful they worked so hard to bring it to light. I read it in about 3 hours and was moved to tears many times. Her words (Adriana's), have the 'ring of truth', as far as I'm concerned, and Kristi Jorde seems to be extraordinarily honest and sincere person. What a great service they've done in writing this book. i think its just sad that the doubting Thomases of the world will discount it just because it challenges their conditioned beliefs.
Kate V, 4/22/01
Yes i too read this book overnight and was consumed by it. An interesting concept. Alas,I really deep down dont belive a word of it.I too see the struggling, and the plate throwing, and the biting as perhaps the only real comunication going on here. As a mother of 4, i wonder, hey dont forget the other kids!!
IG, 7/2/98, Controversial, but utterly fascinating
This is an utterly fascinating book that describes how Adriana Rocha, an autistic child, used a keyboard technique that allows autistics to communicate. Before long she was making a very strong case to her mother that she was, in fact, the reembodiment of John the Evangelist. This feisty autistic teenager manages to blaze with insight and wisdom. Controversial, certainly, but too intriguing to ignore. When I first came across this book in a local metaphysical bookstore, I found I couldn't put it down. I bought it and consumed it in a couple days. Ultimately, it was passed on as a cherished gift...
D., 03/13/97 Potentially uplifting & certainly offputting in areas.
I might have rated this book higher if the claims of having lived certain historically prominent lives hadn't been made. It appeared sensationalist and subtracted from the overall message. Additionally, I had the sense throughout that Kristi showed some very "controlling" aspects of her personality that might very well have manifested in the purported communication from her daughter, Adriana. While this subject matter has been of continuing interest to me and while I don't doubt the veracity of many other similar accounts, I have serious reservations about a story where one mother with apparent control issues is the sole "facilitator" in whatever form, for a daughter who cannot speak for herself. This is an uplifting book from many aspects but a "grain of salt" is warranted here.
A reader, 02/04/97 Putting words into our mouths...
I am a high-functioning autistic person, and I think that this book perpetuates all the worst myths about autism - that there is a normal person "trapped" inside the autism and that facilitated communication shouldn't be exposed to scientific scrutiny (which has so far shown all facilitated messages to come unconsciously from the facilitator, as Temple Grandin, an autistic scientist, notes in her book "Thinking in Pictures") because that would violate the "trust" involved. Kristi Jorde describes physically holding her struggling daughter at the keyboard because she decided to believe the messages saying that this was just "her body disobeying her". This is not my idea of "trust" - as an autistic person, this is my idea of a nightmare. "Normal" people need to respect non-verbal people as they are, and to learn how wonderful it can be to interact without having to use words, instead of exploiting their silence as a blank screen on which to project their own rescue fantasies.
L., 12/06/96 An inside look at -choice- from eyes of an autistic genius.
"It's a book about a girl who was born autistic, well, she chose to be autistic, and didnít learn to communicate in words until she was ten and then said she wanted to study medicine, specifically neurology, at MIT!"
I tumble words onto one another, spilling them before everyone who will listen. "She was...is...aware of her past lives and present and future all at the same time...like living in parallel planes simultaneously," I add nonchalantly.
"Is it true?" they all chime.
"You have to read it," is all I can say. Whether you know people who are autistic, or you want to know about past lives or how we choose to come to earth, or you want to know about this life--what's important, what isn't--or if you want to know about love, or if you sometimes live timidly--wishing you could suck the juice from life--you must meet sweet, intelligent Adri, and her ordinary but willing to become extraordinary mother, Kristi.
M., 07/18/96 to summarize this book in one word it would be 'Hope'
If we were to look up "hope" in the dictionary it reads.. " a confident expectation that a desire will be fulfilled.." and that is exactly what I feel about life and about this book. It is an amazing life story and I would love to communicate with Kristi or Adri if it was possible. They have given me more faith that I could ever have imagined. My friends and family all want to read this amazing book. I told them it would change their life as it did mine. Every day I can read Adri's Prayer on my refrigerator door and I thank them for sharing this inspiring story.