One of my best friends, we'll call her Allison to protect her identity....no. Forget that. Her name really is Allison and I don't care to protect her identity.
Anyway, Allison likes to recommend books to me. Usually, I read them and think, "Eh. It was fine." So when she told me about this book, "How We Deal With Gravity" by Ginger Scott, I was less than enthusiastic to read it.
Let me say right now, publicly, that I was wrong to think so little of Allison's opinion (this time). Because she nailed it. And I give all credit to her for finding my newest Diamond, Ginger Scott.
As a mother of a child with Asperger's Syndrome, the very first chapter grabbed me and held my attention. All I could think was "Been there. Done that. Why won't anyone help her PICK UP THE APPLES?!?!" (You'll understand it when you read it) In fact, before I go on, read the synopsis for yourself as it is posted on Amazon:
"When her son Max was diagnosed with autism, Avery Abbot's life changed forever. Her husband left, and her own dreams became a distant fantasy -- always second to fighting never - ending battles to make sure Max was given opportunity, love and respect. Finding someone to fight along her side wasn't even on her list, and she'd come to terms with the fact that she could never be her own priority again.
But a familiar face walking into her life in the form of 25-year-old Mason Street had Avery's heart waging a war within. Mason was a failure. When he left his hometown five years ago, he was never coming back -- it was only a matter of time before his records hit the billboard charts. Women, booze and rock-n-roll -- that was it for him. But it seemed fate had a different plan in mind, and with a dropped record contract, little money and nowhere to go, Mason turned to the only family that ever made him feel home -- the Abbots.
Avery loved Mason silently for years -- until he broke her heart...completely. But time and life have a funny way of changing people, and sometimes second chances are there for a reason. Could this one save them both?"
I am fully aware that autism and Asperger's are not the same thing. But the meltdowns are so similar, that in some parts of the story, it was like looking into my own life. As a mother I so, so appreciated that.
But I also loved the writing and the character development and the twists and turns. It was just a beautiful, beautiful book.
My only complaint is that Mason, the main hero, has almost no knowledge of autism at all. I wanted to climb in the book and say, "Really? Have you been living under a rock?" But I couldn't. And frankly, I understand why it was written that way. But it still bugged me that in this day and age, with autism being diagnosed in epic proportions, that our main hero wouldn't really know anything about it.
Honestly though, that was a minor issue compared to the overall feel of this book.
All in all, I have to give props to Ms. Scott for her story telling skills. She weaves a beautiful story and presents the hardships that come for any parent of a child with a disability in such a realistic way.
So read it.
Love it.
Share it.
You can get it by clicking here.
Ginger Scott and "How We Deal With Gravity" are dealt a very real and beautiful
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