Keeping in the spirit of World Autism Awareness Month, here is another book I came across recently that I really quite enjoyed:  the boy who saved my life: walking into the light with my autistic grandson by Earle Martin. As the title suggests, the book recounts the way in which a young boy with autism became the catalyst for lifting his grandfather out of depths of depression. I expected a novel similar to the one I mentioned last week (There's A Boy In Here) or like my own, a straightforward narrative about an autistic child and how he effects his family. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find instead something closer to a tone poem.

The way the book is presented, the typography and illustrations are every bit as important as the text itself. It is a meditation on meeting the challenges presented by raising a special needs child, and discovering that helping them grow and meet their own unique challenges also has the unexpected side effect of enriching and improving your own life. Throughout the book, the words of Charlie - the author's grandson -- are presented in their own typeface, always in green, always justified to the right-hand side of the page. His words  are sometimes funny, sometimes profound, but most importantly demonstrate how Charlie is more than just the sum of his autistic behaviors and is, in fact, a fully actualized person. I can tell you as the parent of an autistic child, it is so easy to get lost in the weeds dealing with whatever autistic behavior is being particularly challenging at the moment, and to lose sight of that seemingly-obvious fact. 

The book has a very conversational tone, as if Earle Martin is sitting out on the front porch with you offering his advice and insight. Many of his comments and stories sounded very familiar to me, a true kindred soul. What interested me more, personally, were some of his observations that come from being one slight step removed. He lives on the same street with Charlie, just two blocks away, and Charlie has been coming to the author's house at least twice per week  for over two decades now. By not being the primary caretaker, Mr. Martin has instead become best friends with Charlie -- and it truly is a a genuine friendship that works in both directions. 

You can find out more about the book and its author at http://www.TheBoyWhoSavedMyLife.com, and all proceeds from the book go to support The Brookwood Community which is an "...educational, residential, and entrepreneurial community for adults with functional disabilities."