This is the story of how the Christophers--William, Barbara, and their sons John and Ned--grappled with the challenges of raising Ned, who has autism. This was in the 1970s, when autism was less well understood than it is today, and the development of resources and support networks was still in the early stages. It is told by Bill and Barbara in alternating chapters, interspersed with letters from Barbara and John (and very, very rarely, Bill, who was not much of a letter writer!). The Christophers write with warmth and candour, and their love for and dedication to their son shines through the pages. The book contains a section of black-and-white photos as well.

Worth reading to learn about the early days of autism awareness and for those who may be interested to know a bit about the good-hearted man behind the Korean War's best-loved priest. ( )

About their struggles with their autistic son who ended up at Devereux Santa Barbara eventually. A little padded with dumb letters, and unclear authorship (I think they did alternating chapters) at times, but interesting. ( )