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A review by clarkf87
Love Anthony by Lisa Genova
4.0
"4.19.13 For Felicia - We are all connected." Lisa Genova
This is a beautiful story about a boy with autism and his love for things in Threes, Barney and smooth, white beach rocks. It is a story of the way his life and death connected two women in unexpected ways. Anthony lived through the words Beth wrote on the page and Olivia the editor reading her son to life off the page. Olivia knew the story wasn't finished yet for, not only getting her answers about why Anthony had been born at all, but for Beth and her husband Jimmy and their rocky marriage after infidelity. When the story was finally finished: Olivia received the answers she needed to allow happiness and love back into her life and Beth found forgiveness in her heart to welcome her estranged husband back to their marriage.
"I was here for you, Mom. I was here to teach you about love. Most people love with a guarded heart, only if certain things happen or don't happen, only to a point. If the person we love hurts us, betrays us, abandons us, disappoints us, if the person becomes hard to love, we often stop loving. We protect our delicate hearts. We close off, retreat, withhold, disconnect, and withdraw. We might even hate. Most people love conditionally. Most people are never asked to love with a whole and open heart. They only love partway. They get by. Austism was my gift to you. My autism didn't allow me to look into your eyes, it didn't let me hug or kiss you, it didn't let me say aloud the words you so desperately wanted to hear with your ears. But you loved me anyway."
This is a beautiful story about a boy with autism and his love for things in Threes, Barney and smooth, white beach rocks. It is a story of the way his life and death connected two women in unexpected ways. Anthony lived through the words Beth wrote on the page and Olivia the editor reading her son to life off the page. Olivia knew the story wasn't finished yet for, not only getting her answers about why Anthony had been born at all, but for Beth and her husband Jimmy and their rocky marriage after infidelity. When the story was finally finished: Olivia received the answers she needed to allow happiness and love back into her life and Beth found forgiveness in her heart to welcome her estranged husband back to their marriage.
"I was here for you, Mom. I was here to teach you about love. Most people love with a guarded heart, only if certain things happen or don't happen, only to a point. If the person we love hurts us, betrays us, abandons us, disappoints us, if the person becomes hard to love, we often stop loving. We protect our delicate hearts. We close off, retreat, withhold, disconnect, and withdraw. We might even hate. Most people love conditionally. Most people are never asked to love with a whole and open heart. They only love partway. They get by. Austism was my gift to you. My autism didn't allow me to look into your eyes, it didn't let me hug or kiss you, it didn't let me say aloud the words you so desperately wanted to hear with your ears. But you loved me anyway."