Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

Love Anthony tells the story of two women. Olivia has recently moved to a cottage in Nantucket after the death of her autistic son, Anthony and the break-up of her marriage. She is struggling to find meaning in her son's short life. Beth is also facing some changes in her life. She's recently discovered that her husband is cheating on her. With her three daughters, she must find a way to carry on and find herself again. A chance encounter between the two brings them some unexpected answers and the possibility of closure.

I adored this book. It's a little different from her first two books, but it's just as good. I loved how Genova presented the women's stories in alternating chapters. While the main focus is on the two women, the story also deals with autism and what it's like to be a parent of an autistic child.

I particularly loved Olivia's journals about how she and her husband, David, handled being Anthony's parents. It was incredibly sad, but quite the eye opener as well. It's amazing how different people handle things like this. I don't have children, but the story made me wonder about how my husband and I would have handled a child born with autism. I can't say for sure how we'd do, but my husband definitely has more patience and understanding than I do. I honestly don't think I would have had the patience needed to deal with any special needs child.

I also loved Beth's book entries, which takes the reader inside the mind of this particular autistic child, Anthony. They were all terrific, but I especially liked the one dealing with his three-piece french toast breakfast. I found it amazing that I could relate to some of his thoughts. I really like rules, repetition and routine.

Favourite quotes:

We have pills for headaches. We have antidepressants for sadness. We have God for believers. We have nothing for autism. (page 138)

She's still trying to understand the why of it all.... She feels like she's trying to smell with her eyes or hear with her nose, or even more impossible, like she's trying to cajole some part of her anatomy or being she's not even sure exists into becoming an antenna, a satellite dish capable of receiving wisdom from heaven. (page 205)

The [austism] spectrum is long and wide, and we're all on it. Once you believe this, it becomes easy to see how we're all connected. (from the Author's Note, page 306).

I've read Genova's two other books: Still Alice (my review) and Left Neglected (my review). I loved them both!

Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Lisa has in store for us next.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova, Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) ©2012. ISBN 9781439164686(Uncorrected Proof), 303p.