Boy Alone: A Brother’s Memoir

by: Karl Tao Greenfeld

Published by: Harper

Reviewed by Nicole M. Winget

It is never easy growing up in the shadow of a sibling. It is even more difficult when the shadow is cast because that sibling suffers from a little understood disorder. Add to that the fact that your parents are renowned writers who are fighting to bring attention to the disorder, so it seems that everyone knows your story. All of this results in a shadow the size of which very few of us have had to contend with.

Boy Alone lets us into the world of that sibling in the shadow, recounting his experiences growing up as the older brother of a severely autistic brother. Tracing his experiences from his childhood in the 1970s to the present day, the author shares his pains and frustrations of coping with his family situation, including the guilt of not being the handicapped child, the realization that he could not quite living up to the unspoken expectations of perfection, and his role in the care of his brother.

This is not a happy ending story. It is gut wrenching and upsetting in many ways. It brings you to the peak of hope, lets you teeter on the edge and then pushes you back down the side you had just climbed. It forces you to experience the little joys and hopes that were constantly dashed and the endless frustrations and devastations that the Greenfeld family experienced.

But there is an upside to sharing in this pain. You can’t help but realize how lucky you are every time your child says they love you or you can smile at a memory of playing a game with a sibling. It makes you self reflect and count your blessings.

It is also an interesting historical account of the recent history of autism. Touching on a range of treatments from the horrifying to the confounding and reviewing the complete lack of understanding for so many years, it provides great resources and information that would be helpful to anyone trying to understand Autism.

Heartbreaking and mind opening, Boy Alone is an amazing read that will read you drained yet energized.

Armchair Interviews says: A powerful memoir.

Author’s Web site: http://www.KarlTaroGreenfeld.com