Every Good Boy Does Fine

by Tim Laskowski

Tim Laskowski’s first novel provides a unique insider’s look into the world of a brain-injured man in his mid-thirties. More than a decade before the novel opens, Robert Nyquist suffered traumatic injury in a rock-climbing accident near his home in Missoula, Montana. His once-bright future irrevocably lost, he is now writing this account of his present life as he starts Transitions, a new rehab program that promises to teach him the skills necessary to leave the group home to live more independently. Robert is aided in his ambitious endeavor to record his thoughts by a volunteer writing coach, Ellen, who encourages him to articulate his feelings and helps him to make his memoir intelligible. Telling his story causes Robert to explore and re-define his relationships—with Lorna, another group home resident who is dying of multiple sclerosis and with whom he has established a sexual and emotional bond; with his parents, who are still struggling to accept their son’s disabilities; with his adolescent son John, whose very existence still fills him with uncertainty; and with his caregivers. Robert’s voice is that of a man desperate to achieve coherence and “appropriateness” in the midst of a swirling, confusing reality.

Genres: Fiction

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[LibMomTBI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discovered on Garry Prowe's TBI list on Amazon where he termed it, "Another must read if your survivor is a young man."

Laskowsi is a social worker and apparently generated the story out of an experience with a client. This *is* fiction, and as such, it may or may not represent a realistic view of a life after TBI. But it *does* humanize an adult shackled by the contraints of a TBI and like all good fiction, challenges us to think about care and caring, priorities, the nature of chronic illness, dependency, and what it means to be human. Just how accurately Laskowski depicted Robert's experience is irrelevant. "If you've seen one brain injury, you've seen one brain injury" and each experience is unique anyway.

This will speak to those interested in medical "personal" stories or those with teen or adult children who have become dependent (not just TBI - MS, ALS, anything that causes a role reversal), or readers who enjoyed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or The Bell Jar.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart breaking tale from the perspective of a man with severe brain damage. Sensitive, honest tale.. I loved it.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

From somebody who has survived a Traumatic Brain Injury myself, I can tell you just how amazingly accurate this book is! I felt every word of the read as if I was the main character.

[Sabrina Cheves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by a professor I had at the University of Montana. I couldn't really review a book based on its technical merits; I'm not that well-read and do not consider myself superbly intellectual. What I can do is comment on what affected me as a reader. I don't remember what his writing was like really. I just remember that, even though it was disturbing and, in part, tremendously sad, it certainly made me think, and what better reason to read?

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although somewhat difficult to read, both because of the writing style and the subject matter, this book has one of the best decriptions I've ever read of how a disabled person--in this case, a brain-damaged man--is often viewed by "normal" people and, in turn, how disabled people might view the "normal" people they come into contact with.

[Joy E. Rancatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laskowski immerses his reader into a brain reeling from the effects of a serious traumatic brain injury and exits through his still-pumping heart which exudes emotion and passion and desires understanding. This is a beautiful piece of fiction which embraces and celebrates the lives many people tend to overlook as they go about their "normal" days.

[Anne (w/ an E) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I also suffered a traumatic brain injury so I can understand better than most the way the narrator felt. I have memory problems so I can't remember everything I went through(thankfully!) but I do remember the confusion, poor judgement and lack of impulse control. I think MrLaskowsi did a fantastic job expressing the thoughts and feelings of a seriously brain damaged person.

[Pr Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review on my TBI Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...