In 2009 Cristina Nehring's brilliant first book, A Vindication of Love, was featured on the cover of the New York Times Book Review. An important new voice had appeared in American letters. Just as suddenly, Nehring seemed to disappear—only to reemerge like a bolt from the blue. "Now unexpectedly, writes California poet laureate Dana Gioia, "from Paris comes a heartbreaking and tender memoir, The Child Who Never Spoke, that explains her years of silence. These 'lessons in fragility' tell of Nehring's unexpected pregnancy and birth of a 'special child,' a baby girl with Down syndrome in its most extreme form. Forthright, profound, and passionate, this new book is also a vindication of love. Although it tells a story full of sorrow, The Child Who Never Spoke is a not a sad book but a profound and joyous testament to the love between a mother and daughter."