First published 2013
Dale Gardner is seventeen now. The severe autism that once trapped him has loosened its grip, thanks to Henry, the golden retriever who taught him to connect with others. But Dale still carries autism with him as he steps toward adulthood. The world feels ready to receive him, yet he wonders if it truly accepts young people like him. His family struggles alongside him. His sister Amy battles her own high-functioning autism, bringing fresh challenges to their household. Their parents' marriage fractures under years of fighting prejudice and navigating their children's needs. Nuala Gardner watches her family transform while discovering an unexpected career path that takes her far from home. A new dog joins their family, carrying forward Henry's gentle legacy. The animal becomes another bridge between Dale's inner world and the demanding reality outside. As the Gardners rebuild their lives, they find moments of joy threading through the heartbreak. Dale's journey from isolated child to young adult reveals how love adapts and endures, even when everything else shifts around it.
Genres: mental-illness, 21st-century, family-drama, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity
Setting: Household
Period: Adulthood, Childhood
278 pages · Kindle Edition · Black & White Publishing
Content warnings: ableism, mental-illness