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A mother's memoir on living with autism
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Liane Kupferberg Carter writes with tender clarity. She reminds parents of autistic children just how far they have come and how desperately far they need to go. Her memoir Love is Like This is a chilling account of the first years of living with autism, followed by exhausting realization and pain. Reading her unadulterated portrayal just might be a catharsis for parents who have walked in her shoes on a different day or time. Strength in numbers may one day make a difference.
There is the quintessential stereotype of the "perfect "parents' notion of their "perfect" children in their "perfect" lives. However, there is no greater mirror than Ms. Carter's example of the silly Mom who frets over how many times her twins ask for juice or "who to fire, the nanny or the housekeeper" for her "perfect" children. What simple dilemmas to agonize over; what an envious place to be, in the eyes of a parent living with autism.
Perhaps the most exquisite description that Lianne Carter shares is Having children is like wearing your internal organs out in the open. It is a poignant and true statement for all parents, nevertheless for parents of autistic children the stakes are higher. Ms. Carter "resolves to live forever", the unspoken mantra for parents of autism.
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