Disconnected
Portrait of a Neurodiverse Marriage
In a late-life romance, Eleanor marries Lars, a brilliant database expert, believing their fairytale love will last forever. But their marriage quickly devolves into angry outbursts and shutdowns. Disconnected powerfully portrays the obstacles that neurodiverse couples must overcome. It will resonate with anyone who struggles to grasp how even the closest bonds can break, and then must create a new life.
“Eleanor Vincent paints a searing portrait of a highly challenging relationship. I read this in one gulp. Wow. This is an important book.”
— Julia Scheeres, NYT bestselling author of the memoir Jesus Land
Eleanor Vincent
My goal is to create stories that engage, move, and uplift readers. I want my protagonists to stumble and overcome against all odds to be ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances. As it turns out, life has dealt me a few of those.
I am the author of two books, Disconnected: Portrait of a Neurodiverse Marriage and Swimming with Maya: A Mother’s Story. Both books are memoirs, and both are ultimately about love and loss.
Disconnected, my most recent book, is a fierce, funny, and compassionate look at my late-in-life marriage to a man on the autism spectrum and the heartbreak of its end. $
My Writing Blog
Following the ADHD Breadcrumbs
Clues appeared early. Throughout my life I’ve been told I’m too sensitive, too needy, too talkative, too direct. I have always been sensitive to bright light, loud sounds, scratchy fabrics, the sound of people chewing or clicking pens. I’ve often struggled with sleep,...
Tribute to Madeline Sharples
I noticed her immediately, a pretty dark-haired woman, beautifully put together. We took turns introducing ourselves sitting in a circle of writers at Esalen for a workshop called “Writing Our Lives.” When it was her turn, she spoke of poems she was writing about her...
In Honor of Maya
Just as trees begin to leaf, and California poppies dot the hillsides, the anniversary of my daughter’s death occurs. It’s been 34 years since Maya was declared brain dead on April 6, 1992. She was 19, a gifted young woman on the cusp of a bright future. This year,...
Anthologies
Impact: An Anthology of Short Memoirs
Telling Our Stories Press, 2012
“Lucia’s Birth” tells the story of how Eleanor entered grandmotherhood by assisting at her daughter’s labor, interwoven with flashbacks of her birth and growing up years, intercut with memories of Maya. Lucia’s entry into this world changed the way she felt about losing Maya. $
This I Believe:
On Motherhood
Wiley, 2012
In this collection sixty essayists share, in intimate terms, what motherhood means to them. Eleanor’s essay, “The Gravity of Love,” shows how Maya’s death influenced the celebration of her sister’s wedding as seen through the eyes of the mother of the bride.$
At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die
In Fact Books, 2012
Eleanor’s essay, “The Resurrection of Wonder Woman,” explores the emotional and ethical impact of organ donation from the perspective of a grieving mother. Maya’s organs and tissues ultimately saved four lives and improved countless others.$
