Focus

Written by Ingrid Ricks

Narrated by Robyn Maryke

From the Author of the New York Times bestseller Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story
"A strong addition to any contemporary memoir collection." - Midwest Book Review
At the age of 37, Ingrid Ricks walked into an eye doctor's office expecting to walk outt with a cute pair of red cat-eye frames--only to learn she suffered from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare, incurable eye disease that was stealing her eyesight and would eventually leave her completely blind.
Gripped with the terrifying fear that she wouldn't be able to see her two young daughters grow up, would become a burden to her husband, and would lose the career and independence that defines her, Ingrid embarks on a quest to fix her eyes that ends up fixing her life.
Through an eight-year journey marked by a trip to South Africa to write about AIDS orphans, a four-day visit with a doctor who focuses on whole-body health, a relationship-changing confrontation with her husband and a life-changing lesson from her daughters, Ingrid learns to embrace the moment and see what counts in life—something no amount of vision loss can take from her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author's Republic
• Release date: Aug 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9780985929442

Reviews for Focus

[sunnydrk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good memoir about denial and acceptance. While I got a little confused with some of the timeline, I found Ms. Ricks writing to be straightforward and engaging.

[judiex · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ingrid Ricks was a journalist, marketing/PR consultant, and author. When she was in her late 30s, she was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease. While she had 20/20 vision at a few years earlier, by age 37 she had lost her peripheral vision and became legally blindShe worked to support herself and her husband, John, when he went to law school and was fiercely independent. After he graduated and joined a law firm. She took care of their two young daughters while he put in long hours at the office. After her diagnosis, she worried about all the things she would not be able to see, like what her daughters looked like as they grew up and what their surroundings looked like. She worried about being a burden to her husband. In FOCUS, she honestly writes about not only her reactions but that of other people towards her. She mentioned a case where an eye doctor, following a test, shook her husband’s hand but not hers. She and John realized they would have to move from the isolated area where they lived and depended on cars to get anywhere to a city where schools, shopping, and entertainment were within walking distance. When John asked his father if he could borrow money for a down payment on a home, his father questioned what would happen if John became incapacitated and Ingrid had to finish paying off the loan. “Being viewed as a helpless human being was what I feared more than anything. And it sounded like it was already happening.”She went to Africa on an assignment to report on people suffering from AIDS to help raise funds for the survivors, many of whom were orphaned children. That experience eventually helped her decide to stop feeling sorry for herself.The book continues with her search for what caused her illness (no one else in her family had it) and how to live with it, and how to treat it. She states, “I began understanding just how much the pursuit of stuff blinds us from seeing what really matters and counts in life.” She weighed the consequences of keeping her blindness hidden from other people or being proactive to educate others.Ingrid devotes considerable space to what medical professionals are doing to help people with RP as well as how to deal with the prognosis and live her life with RP. “With no peripheral vision to distract me, I’ve been forced to focus on what’s right in front of me–my family, my friends, my dreams, this moment.FOCUS can be a guide for people facing many physical and emotional problems and has some excellent insight, growth, and promise.This book was a free Amazon download.

[kristincedar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In some ways, I could see this book being the next big thing (hint, hint, Oprah). The story of a woman who is passionate, lively, and strong, and her ability to overcome a degenerative eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa. It's not a book in which anyone is feeling sorry for anyone involved with the book. The strength coming off the pages is just too powerful. It's a quick read, moving, and without a drop of being fake. I really felt this woman's character, and so will you.

[lilacwolf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From Lilac Wolf and StuffWhen I reviewed Hippie Boy, I told you I didn't even know it was a true story until I had finished reading it. Ingrid really does have a flair for words. She came to me and asked if I'd like to review it. I remembered her and knew for a fact I would love to read anything she writes. So here we are. And if you come back on Friday, she has sent along a guest post and a giveaway of her book Focus.So, back to the book. Ingrid is writing about her degenerative eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa - which I'd never heard of before. She was going blind, slowly. And I wonder if that's worse. You are constantly aware of your field of vision getting smaller and smaller by degrees. She really does paint a vivid picture of the roller coaster of emotions.Well, like most strong women, she wasn't willing to just accept the diagnosis and crawl into a corner. Her husband started problem solving and they moved into the city she she could use public transportation for anything she couldn't walk to. And she found a new doctor with alternative treatments. While it didn't cure her eyes, she did really come so much further than her journey through her childhood.The fun thing in this book was reading about her desire to finish her memoir, Hippie Boy. She kept putting it off until her whole family was sick of hearing about it. There was a scene where her daughters were pretending to be her as an old woman saying, "My book! I need to finish my book!" and it was like a slap in the face. And then she made it happen. I'm glad she did, it was so good.The not so comfortable bits were seeing things that I do that aren't helping me in my life there in print form. This memoir will make you laugh, cry, and think...much more than you probably want to. But it's totally worth the time and effort. And really, it's not much time. This woman has a way of grabbing you by the eyes and holding on until she's ready to let go.I freaked out when I had forgotten the timeline I promised to review it in. I started reading it on Tuesday night. I finished it Wednesday morning during my workout. Seriously, like 2 hours. While I get that it's only 100 pages long, that time still went by incredibly fast - not a boring moment in here. And a funny little twist, she also talked about stem cells. She needs to talk to Amy from Monday! lol

[isisunit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This brief but fascinating memoir really packs a lot into a short amount if space. As the title at least hints at, if not shouts out, one of the major themes of this memoir is the detailed story of Ms. Ricks loss of vision. The memoir takes us from before the diagnosis through to the 'present' of the publication of her memoirs.It is an interesting read and her biggest hurdles/self-discoveries are all worth some thought when applied to the reader's life. The challenges and lessons learned may not be the same, but they likely have very similar power for each person respectively.Engaging and easy to read, this is one of those books that you can knock out in a very short amount of time (being all of 139 pages). However, some of the messages in the story are the kinds that stay for years, if not forever - and can be used to inform your own life as necessary.

[crazy_bunny_lady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was different from my usual reading material but I honestly really enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much!~

[debsanswers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I won it through the members giveaway program. It was very well written, compelling and hard to put down. I stayed up late to finish it, at least it is a short book. It was very easy to feel her emotions. I have my own fears of loosing my sight. I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.