Dirt

by Susan Senator

Emmy is a typical suburban mother--at least on the outside. On the inside she's a mess. She's trying to raise her three sons alone, and that is proving to be a discouraging struggle. Her oldest, Nick, is profoundly autistic and increasingly frustrated with the world around him. Henry, her normally dependable middle child seems to be drifting away from her into morose adolescence. And then there's Dan, her eight-year-old who seems perpetually angry at everyone in the family.

Emmy's estranged husband Eric is no help at all, just a weekend dad who pops in when he's not wanted and takes the boys out for fast food or visits to the Science Museum. Emmy's haven from it all is her garden, and her dream is to start a landscape design business. But lack of time and energy keep her stuck selling real estate--it is all Emmy can do just to keep her life under control.

When a flirtation, a brush with the law and a near tragedy occur within a few weeks of each other, Emmy is certain that she has failed adulthood completely. Dirt presents a portrait of complicated relationships and the ways that people find refuge--and each other.

Susan Senator is the author of two acclaimed books on autism and family life. Dirt is her first work of fiction.

Genres: Fiction

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2011

Reviews

[Liane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Senator's nonfiction books on autism are required reading for autism families, and her first foray into fiction is spot on. I am especially struck with the impressive job she has done in imagining the interior life of a teenager with autism. Her writing is graceful, insightful, realistic, and, ultimately, hopeful.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is applicable to anyone who has a special needs child. This book covers the highs and the lows of every day life, and just when you're about ready to throw in the towel because you feel totally inept there's that little sparkle that shines through and renews.
A really good read.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dynamics of the marriage were very true to the experiences of many special needs families

[Barbara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful having had no experience or contact with autism and its effects on families.

[Hiroshi Miya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am diagnosed with Aspergers and this author did a great job of showing what its like to have a child with a autism slectrum disorder.

[Holle Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed every page. This was an enjoyable read about a subject that is near and dear...life with autism. Well done.