Life with autism and/or with a person with autism can be very challenging, especially in absence of a proper diagnosis. Mostly, you expect from the other person a 'normal' behavior - although normality is a problematic and hard to define notion.
In a very honest and open memoir, Anlor Davin tells her story of being diagnosed of autism at 46 and the struggles and difficulties she had to deal with her whole life. Still, she succeeded to move in a new country, from France to the US, learn a new language, worked, although only for short periods of time and has a big boy that mostly stayed with her. In fact, it is nothing to wonder about, because there were cases of persons with different manifestations on the autism spectrum that won the Nobel Prize - like Thomas Südhof, for instance. The problem may be usually be of the direct environment, particularly family, and the social interactions in general, at school or at work. The role of the diagnosis is very important because it may help the parents and siblings to deal correctly with the many challenges and can help the autistic person as well to balance and counter the difficulties in the everyday life.
Unfortunately, Anlor Davin hadn't this chance and most of her life she was alone against the rest of the world. Reading his struggles and achievements it looks like an outstanding success. Moving often, interacting with many people, always careful to observe what was going on and the other people's reactions, although lacking the key to understand the reasons why they behave in a specific way. She found her peace in Zen meditation and also had once in a while the chance to meet the right persons at the right time to help her or just listen to her.
The writing is simple but what matters is the inspiration of the story. A recommended lecture to anyone that wants to better understand autism and those living with it.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review
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