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Book Reviewed by:For fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time comes this landmark novel about autism, memory, and, ultimately, redemption.
Sent to a "therapeutic community" for autism at the age of eleven, Todd Aaron, now in his fifties, is the "Old Fox" of Payton LivingCenter. A joyous man who rereads the encyclopedia compulsively, he is unnerved by the sudden arrivals of a menacing new staffer and a disruptive, brain-injured roommate. His equilibrium is further worsened by Martine, a one-eyed new resident who has romantic intentions and convinces him to go off his meds to feel "normal" again. Undone by these pressures, Todd attempts an escape to return "home" to his younger brother and to a childhood that now inhabits only his dreams.
Written astonishingly in the first-person voice of an autistic, adult man, Best Boy with its unforgettable portraits of Todd's beloved mother, whose sweet voice still sings from the grave, and a staffer named Raykene, who says that Todd "reflects the beauty of His creation" is a piercing, achingly funny, finally shattering novel no reader can ever forget.
ONE
Payton LivingCenter was the sixth place in
a row Momma had taken me but neither of us knew it was
the one where I'd stay forever and ever.
"My darling manzipan, I'm just so sure you're going to be
happy here," she said that day with her red mouth that never
stopped talking.
Then she started crying. It was raining. We were sitting in
the parked car and I touched the glass of the window that was
clear as air. Rain was exploding silently on the other side of it
and this scared me.
"There's so many things I need to tell you and there's never
enough time," she said and then wiped her eyes with her
handkerchief.
"Momma," I said, "the rain."
"Please listen to me very carefully," she said. "Life has a song
of happiness at the heart of it, but you can only hear that song
if you work hard and are always a Best Boy and do exactly what
you are told. You'll love it here, and Daddy and I will come on
Visiting Day and call you on the weekends, ...
Gottlieb writes Todd’s story in a language that is accessible yet poetic. He creates great, metaphorical moments that describe how consuming autism can be, and also scenes that flow like soft, vulnerable affirmations that any person, on the spectrum or not, might make...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Bradley Sides).
Alison Lurie
Best Boy is a remarkable achievement – an intimate and convincing portrayal of what the world looks like from inside the mind of a mentally handicapped but unusually sensitive, observant, and decent man." Andrew Solomon
Amid the flood of books about autism in childhood comes this gripping novel about the fresher territory of autism in midlife. It is written with elan, wit, and great empathy, and it limns in fiction the crisis our nation faces in real life as we try to construct viable supports for this burgeoning population. Cynthia Ozick
I've fallen in love with Best Boy, touched by its delicacy and fearless truths Walter Kirn
A literary experience of piercing, invigorating, profound humanity. A homecoming that restores the mind and soul.Eli Gottlieb's Best Boy tells the story of the life of Todd Aaron, an autistic man struggling to understand and fit into the world that surrounds him. Todd's story, while unique in its own right, is increasingly familiar. Autism is something that is increasingly talked about in the American popular culture and embedded in the American general conscience. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in every 68 American children has some form of autism.
Even in the technologically and scientifically-minded 21st century, what autism actually is remains a mystery to many people. According to Autism Speaks, autism can be characterized by "difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal ...
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If you liked Best Boy, try these:
by Andrew David MacDonald
Published 2020
A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
by Judith Newman
Published 2018
From the author of the viral New York Times op-ed column "To Siri with Love" comes a collection of touching, hilarious, and illuminating stories about life with a thirteen-year-old boy with autism that hold insights and revelations for us all.
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