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Joe: One Moment at a Time: Seeing the World Through Routines, Senses, and Love
“ One Moment at a Time”
Joe doesn’t see the world the way most people do.
Every sound is sharper.
Every smell is stronger.
Every routine is a lifeline.
Since losing his parents, Joe has moved in with his Nan, Maggie. She loves him fiercely, but she’s learning - often one mistake, one guess, and one small victory at a time. Together, they are trying to build safety in a world that can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and too much.
One Moment at a Time is a powerful and compassionate novel that tells their story through three distinct
Joe’s Part - a sensory-rich window into how he experiences the the taste of burnt toast, the feel of socks with bumps, the sound of a fire alarm that doesn’t stop ringing inside his head.
Maggie’s Part - a grandparent’s perspective, filled with determination, doubt, and love as she tries to meet Joe’s needs and honour the memory of his dad.
The Narrator’s Part - a reflective voice linking behaviour to meaning, offering abstract insight into neurodivergence, grief, and resilience.
This layered storytelling creates a book that is both moving fiction and a practical resource.
What makes this book unique?
Authentic detail - Everyday objects like the “wrong cup,” new school shoes, or a blue visor at bathtime become powerful anchors of Joe’s experience.
Triple perspective - Each chapter balances Joe’s sensory world, Maggie’s learning curve, and the narrator’s reflective lens.
Practical tools - A sensory index, glossary of key terms, and discussion guide make this book valuable in classrooms, training, and family reading.
Themes of grief and growth - The story explores how love adapts after loss, and how safety is rebuilt “one moment at a time.”
Who is this book for?
Families - A story to spark empathy and conversations about routines, overwhelm, and resilience.
Educators - A classroom tool for understanding autism and neurodivergence beyond stereotypes.
Professionals - Case-study style insights into co-regulation, transitions, and behaviour as communication.
Book groups - A narrative rich with discussion points on love, loss, and the meaning of “enough.”
Why this matters
This is not a textbook on autism.
It is not every child’s story.
It is Joe’s story.
Through it, we are reminded that children are not problems to be solved, but people to be understood. That safety doesn’t always mean silence, and love doesn’t mean perfection. Sometimes, it just means showing up - one moment at a time.
A Moment at a Time is for anyone who wants to step into another’s world, see life through different senses, and discover how patience, presence, and steady effort can build bridges between people.
Because the world doesn’t need perfect answers.
It needs understanding.
Joe doesn’t see the world the way most people do.
Every sound is sharper.
Every smell is stronger.
Every routine is a lifeline.
Since losing his parents, Joe has moved in with his Nan, Maggie. She loves him fiercely, but she’s learning - often one mistake, one guess, and one small victory at a time. Together, they are trying to build safety in a world that can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and too much.
One Moment at a Time is a powerful and compassionate novel that tells their story through three distinct
Joe’s Part - a sensory-rich window into how he experiences the the taste of burnt toast, the feel of socks with bumps, the sound of a fire alarm that doesn’t stop ringing inside his head.
Maggie’s Part - a grandparent’s perspective, filled with determination, doubt, and love as she tries to meet Joe’s needs and honour the memory of his dad.
The Narrator’s Part - a reflective voice linking behaviour to meaning, offering abstract insight into neurodivergence, grief, and resilience.
This layered storytelling creates a book that is both moving fiction and a practical resource.
What makes this book unique?
Authentic detail - Everyday objects like the “wrong cup,” new school shoes, or a blue visor at bathtime become powerful anchors of Joe’s experience.
Triple perspective - Each chapter balances Joe’s sensory world, Maggie’s learning curve, and the narrator’s reflective lens.
Practical tools - A sensory index, glossary of key terms, and discussion guide make this book valuable in classrooms, training, and family reading.
Themes of grief and growth - The story explores how love adapts after loss, and how safety is rebuilt “one moment at a time.”
Who is this book for?
Families - A story to spark empathy and conversations about routines, overwhelm, and resilience.
Educators - A classroom tool for understanding autism and neurodivergence beyond stereotypes.
Professionals - Case-study style insights into co-regulation, transitions, and behaviour as communication.
Book groups - A narrative rich with discussion points on love, loss, and the meaning of “enough.”
Why this matters
This is not a textbook on autism.
It is not every child’s story.
It is Joe’s story.
Through it, we are reminded that children are not problems to be solved, but people to be understood. That safety doesn’t always mean silence, and love doesn’t mean perfection. Sometimes, it just means showing up - one moment at a time.
A Moment at a Time is for anyone who wants to step into another’s world, see life through different senses, and discover how patience, presence, and steady effort can build bridges between people.
Because the world doesn’t need perfect answers.
It needs understanding.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2025
About the author
Adam Hardaker
17 books2 followersAdam Hardaker is a writer from Liverpool whose debut novel, The Seat Left Empty, explores community, love, and loss through the rhythms of everyday life. A lifelong Everton supporter and fourth-generation fan, Adam weaves football, humour, and heartache into his storytelling, capturing the way ordinary routines take on extraordinary meaning when grief touches them.
Away from writing, Adam works in supported living, managing services for adults with disabilities. His career has given him a deep understanding of resilience, relationships, and the small victories that shape people’s lives - themes that often make their way into his work.
Adam still calls Merseyside home, where he lives with his wife and four sons. When he isn’t at Goodison Park, he’s probably listening to Prince, rewatching old comedies, or thinking about his next story.
Away from writing, Adam works in supported living, managing services for adults with disabilities. His career has given him a deep understanding of resilience, relationships, and the small victories that shape people’s lives - themes that often make their way into his work.
Adam still calls Merseyside home, where he lives with his wife and four sons. When he isn’t at Goodison Park, he’s probably listening to Prince, rewatching old comedies, or thinking about his next story.
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