Book 45 of 52: Loving Anthony

This book was just recently published and I thought it would be a while until I could get it from the library. After reading Still Alice and Left Neglected last year, I was eagerly awaiting Lisa Genova's next novel. Thank you to my good friend Lisa who passed her library copy along to me before the due date.

I had high hopes and was a little worried about halfway through as I thought it was good (just 'good') and that I might be let down a little. But I know this author and trusted that she wouldn't let me down. Another great one from Lisa Genova! Maybe I need to find some more PhD scientists who are also fiction writers.

The story is about two 30-something women, unknown to each other, who live year-round on Nantucket Island. Beth, has 3 girls, and has just been cheated on by her husand Jimmy. Olivia has just moved to the Island where her once husband Dan and their autistic son Anthony had owned a vacation cottage. This book describes the challenges both women have had in their marriages, as well as how they are re-discovering and re-defining who they are.

I think this book would absolutely tear at your heart if you have a child with autism. I had that eerie "I can relate" feeling throughout reading it. I suspect the struggles of marriage and mothering are universal to many of us. In fact, any mother is likely to have a few tears reading this story.