Just This Side of Normal: Glimpses into Life With Autism [Hardcover]

Elizabeth King Gerlach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

"Just This Side of Normal: Glimpses Into Life with Autism" is a powerful depiction of one mother's journey toward understanding and acceptance of the profound disability that affects her son. It is a testament to how deeply we love our children and how far we are willing to go for the sake of that love. Light is light, whether is comes from the sun or from another, equally remarkable source.

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . .intensely, achingly personal. The information it contains will help families of children with any disability; . . .an inspiration for all readers." -- Register Guard, Eugene, OR

"Elizabeth King Gerlach's book tells it like it is. Her story has it all--happy, sad, serious, funny--and all at the same time. It's must reading for parents and important reading for professionals." -- Dr. Stephen Edelson, Director, Center for the Study of Autism

"In this collection of vignettes about raising a child with autism, Elizabeth King Gerlach writes with tenderness, humor, grace, honesty and a calm good sense. She is able to convey the confusions, distress, and yearnings of a parent deeply worried about her son, but also the moments of sheer joyfulness at watching this engagingly 'different' child grow and learn." -- Jane Taylor McDonnell, Author, News From the Border

"Just This Side of Normal is direct, unsentimental, profoundly perceptive and poignant." -- Andrew Harvey, Author of "A Journey in Ladakh"

The ASA book of the year! -- The Autism Society of America

From the Publisher

Just This Side of Normal was awarded "Literary Work of the Year" from the Autism Society of America, July 4, 2000.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 139 pages
• Publisher: Four Leaf Pr (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963757849
• ISBN-13: 978-0963757845
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,478,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Absorbing and Beautifully Written, February 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Just This Side of Normal: Glimpses into Life With Autism (Hardcover)

Just This Side of Normal is so compelling that you find you must read it all in one sitting, and then go back and read it again. The book's organization, vignettes which are loosely chronological, keeps the pace lively. A powerful story about love and struggle, it's told with tenderness, humor, and great courage.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Gem of a Book, March 18, 2000

By 

Jean Yates "jean, jewelry designer, book and... (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Just This Side of Normal: Glimpses into Life With Autism (Hardcover)

With this book, JUST THIS SIDE OF NORMAL, Elizabeth King Gerlach has balanced her already highly respected reputation as an author (see her ESSENTAL research book: AUTISM TREATMENT GUIDE--and buy it too! ), with a more personal but no less valuable contribution to the field of literature on autism. Autism, the disorder confounding to doctors, educational professionals and parents alike, deserves to be confronted and thought about in a variety of ways. In this book, Ms. Gerlach takes her own experiences as the mother of an autistic child and expands our understanding, in a very personal way, of the trials, the confusions, and the small triumphs that confront a parent of an exceptional child like her son, Nicky.

You will not put this book down until you have read it cover to cover, I guarantee it. I have lent out this book so many times over it's absurd! Each time I have been stunned by the profound reactions of the people I have leant it to, whether they are special ed. teachers, just friends, professional writers such as Ms Gerlach herself, or parents of autistic children, like me. It reaches everyone. Ms. Gerlach's love of nature, life, and her child shine through on every page. Get this book. You will not regret it. It is beautifully honest and you will be moved. Absolutely one of my favorites in my personal library of books on autism.

best wishes, Jean

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heartfelt memoir with much to teach, November 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Just This Side of Normal: Glimpses into Life With Autism (Hardcover)

Many books are available that talk about the medical side of autism, but "Just This Side of Normal" puts it in perspective, as seen through the eyes of a devoted parent trying to understand her child's world. Elizabeth Gerlach's insights open up a window through which the reader can see not just the disorder, but the child. Highly recommended for parents, professionals, and others who want to understand people with autism more fully.