Friday, May 18, 2012

Guest Blogger Book Review: Words Get in the Way

By Kim Walker

As a mother of two children who both have autism, I was very interested in reading "Words Get In The Way" by Nan Rossiter because one of the main characters is a young boy named Henry who also has autism and is non-verbal. I'm not sure what I expected out of it, but I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book a lot.

The story begins with Callie and her son Henry who return to her hometown because her father is in poor health, Henry's diagnosis is fresh and Callie thought it would be good for all of them to be together. Soon after their arrival home, Callie finds herself spending time with her old boyfriend, Linden, who she had left several years before without giving a reason why. Linden is floored that Callie is back -- he has never stopped loving her -- and he is stunned that she has a son. Overtime, as they spend more time together, Linden becomes a rock for Callie to lean on and forms a unique, beautiful relationship with Henry. Callie begins to feel hope again that there is promise for her son, and maybe, just maybe, for her too.

I really enjoyed the relationships in this book! I liked the way Callie and Linden just slipped back into a friendship despite all the hurt from their past. And I especially enjoyed the relationship between Linden and Henry, built on a trust so deep and instant. There was also a little intrigue as to why Callie left Linden all those years ago and as to who the father of her son is that you don't find the answers to until several chapters in, which I thought was great.

What I didn't really get excited about was the depiction of autism and how it affected Callie and Henry. I know every child is different, with or without autism, and that every family experiences it differently, and I am definitely not an expert on Autism, but I thought that things happened too "easily" and too quickly for Henry, and that when they happened, the reaction of Callie lacked the fireworks one would expect. I also felt this book lacked the raw emotion it should have evoked within its readers when dealing with such a life-changing topic.

Overall....I would still give this book a 3.5 out of 5 as the story of Callie, Linden and Henry is absolutely lovely!

Kim Walker is a wife and stay-at-home mother of two children who both have autism and her son also has a rare seizure disorder called Dravet Syndrome. Kim and her family reside in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and when she manages to find some time for herself, you can bet she has her nose buried in a book. If you'd like to talk about books with Kim, you can find her on Facebook. She's also a regular visitor to our Facebook group!

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