Title: Amos The Gifted
Author: Wilbur Shapiro
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1973833208
Pages: 170
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
Looking through someone else’s life can be a fascinating escape from your own daily grind. When a character’s story is inspired by the writer’s encounters with people in his own life, it can definitely make the read more interesting, which is what happened in author Wilbur Shapiro’s book Amos The Gifted.
The main character, Amos, is a truly gifted child from very early on. Raised by a strong single mother named Soriana, Amos shows he is not the typical child by any stretch of the imagination. It is clear to his teachers from as early as preschool, as well as his mother, that Amos is going to make his mark on the world. As he moves through life, he reaches every milestone and easily exceeds expectations. His mother Soriana is very successful in her own right and shows unyielding support for her gifted son.
Author Wilbur Shapiro was inspired by the hardworking medical aides who helped to take care of his wife during a long illness. He obviously got to know a bit about their lives, and you can see his admiration for these hard-working women. Mr. Shapiro had an engineering career that lasted for over 50 years. Along with producing many technical publications and securing 10 patents he also had a love of writing, which clearly shows in his fourth book, Amos The Gifted.
What I liked about this title is that it showed how being a single mother does not have to stop you from having a fulfilling career of your own, and how doing so can even help your child fulfill their own ambitions. It also showed the strong bond between a mother and son and how that can be a very positive thing for both. I was glad to read a story that doesn’t paint that in a negative way.
All in all, I enjoyed Wilbur Shapiro’s Amos The Gifted. It was an enjoyable read and a reminder we set our own destiny in life. It will strike a chord with single mothers, working mothers and a very wide audience.
