Throughout my reading the memoir The Winter of our Disconnect, I took note of a few things to compare to my feelings I had before I began the book. For one, it was written in many different styles to form one book with many interesting aspects and experiences that Maushart writes about. For one, the book does not follow one consistent format. In certain sections the book will be written like a journal or diary, with dates and small entries about things that have happened concerning the disconnect that day. In other sections of the book, Maushart writes like it is a novel; with page after page filled with nothing but paragraphs of her talking about certain challenging aspects of the disconnect or how it has affected the family. In some ways, I prefer this ‘chaotic’ writing format: It gives relief to the mind reading paragraph after paragraph with some short and sweet dialogue filled entries.
In terms of what was expected, Maushart filled those expectations and added some more. I was initially interested in the book to see what would happen when three teenagers, relating to me more obviously than Maushart herself, were suddenly deprived of the internet and technology they know and adore. Comparing that to other memoir’s previously studied, like Night by Elie Wiesel where there was little to no connection to me and the topic had no present and reoccurring connection to my daily life, The Winter of our Disconnect was a memoir that related to me in multiple ways discussed in other entries, and that was what drew me to the book.
“When we thunder ‘But how can you THINK with that racket going on?’ they explain sweetly, ‘The thing is: Our brains are different.’” (146) is a quote that connects with me and I believe most of my peers in many ways. It’s true; children these days can multitask and work in conditions most adults cannot focus in. The quotes and passages like this are plentiful, and Maushart did a wonderful job of making me think about my life differently than I have before.