I hadn’t heard of Love Anthony from anyone, but happened to find the book because I had read two other books by the same author (Lisa Genova) earlier in 2015 and really enjoyed them!
Love Anthony follows two moms, Olivia and Beth, as they wade through marriage issues and struggles with children. Beth, dealing with martial issues, seeks to reclaim herself by reclaiming her love of writing. Olivia, whom is newly separated and seeking to deal with the loss of her son, starts taking photos on the island of Nantucket. It is through this photography business that the two women meet, and a friendship is born. Love Anthony follows both of their struggles to heal and understand. Each of Genova’s books centers around a different diagnosis, and this book explores what it’s like for the individual, as well as those around that individual, to be diagnosed with autism.
A few quotes I enjoyed:
“I loved your love because it kept me safe and happy and wanted, and it existed beyond words and hugs and eyes” (p 302).
“Why couldn’t they do that? Why couldn’t they hold on to each other and block out the world? Why couldn’t they surrender to what they couldn’t control? Why weren’t they brave enough to celebrate a life that included autism? She wanted to, and she thinks she eventually got there, but it took her too long. Just as she was ready to dance, the music stopped playing.”
“Time’s a funny thing, bending, warping, stretching, and compressing, all depending on perspective.”
I really enjoyed this book! For my review on goodreads, this is what I said: Maybe 3.75- it took me a long time to get into the book. I read the first quarter and then put it down for a few weeks before picking it back up again. I think the author does a great job of sharing the impact that autism has. I really love this author, and so enjoy the way she weaves medical issues into stories- it’s such a great source of education! This book had me up at 2:40 am crying at the end. It’s definitely worth the read!
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