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A Slant of Sun: One Child's Courage

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I love "A Slant of Sun," a first book by Beth Kephart, a memoir for her nine-year-old son Jeremy. This book is about everything that matters in relationships, whether son and mother, husband and wife, friends. It's about acceptance and compassion and anger and courage. It's about stripping life down to its essentials to find out what the essentials are. What does it matter if your son has good manners or a sensible bedtime if he has not, in the course of his young life, found the words, any words, that will order the rest of his life? I love you, Mommy. I want cereal. I want to play.

Diagnosed at age two with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, Jeremy had obsessions and rituals and fears and no language to express his need for them. He loved cars and arranging them in precise, unvarying patterns. He was terrified of strangers, of any disruption in his day. The picture on the cover of the book is of Jeremy, alone and facing the world from his front porch, wearing the too-big green hat that for a time was his equivalent of Dorothy's ruby slippers, a bit of protection, a hedged bet against a world that wanted him to be like other kids. And a badge, too, that said, "I'm not like other kids. I hope I find my way, but it will be my way."

In fact, that's how it was. Today, he is on the verge of third grade, a move forward that, like all new things, has him a little nervous. "I know," he confides to his mother, "that I'm not good at transitions." He agreed to having a bunch of strangers in his house for a party in honor of the publication of the book for which he was the inspiration and the hero as long as he could leave and play soccer in the backyard when he felt like it. He not only held his own, he held forth.

I know because I was there. I met Kephart through her bread and butter work as a freelance business writer. I met Jeremy when I learned that his diagnosis was the same as the one pinned on my sister's child, who is three years younger than Jeremy and who, like Jeremy, is gifted in many ways and has eyes you could drown in. I hoped, like everyone who loves a child and sees him suffering, for a prescription. That is not what I found, either in knowing Jeremy or in reading the book about him. I found, as another reviewer has noted, "an extended poem" about the healing power of love. That, ultimately, is what makes this book worth reading.

Jeremy's extraordinary progress through his disorder is, implacably, his story and his alone. The disorder is too broad for it to be otherwise. Kephart - though she knows the science of PDDNOS and autism well enough to be asked to lecture at Johns Hopkins - is as bewildered as anyone. She writes, "It seems to me that the stronger Jeremy grows, the more confounding becomes the incipient question: Just what has happened here? Five years ago we saw our child disappearing - a rapid descent into silence. We met with doctors. We were given terminology. The terminology was a dark room, a dead end....Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified is a label extended to tens of thousands of children....It's an active search on the Internet. But it remains, in my mind, nothing more than a cipher, a way of saying, "We are not quite sure what's wrong."

What is universal, and right, in "Slant" and what Kephart expresses with honesty and exquisite language is the maddening collaboration of heartbreak, joy, rage, and simple sweetness that defines love -- whether you're a small boy demanding that the world take you green hat and all or a mother faced with diagnoses, haunted by imagined inadequacies, exhausted with daily and alternating frustration and progress, cognizant of prices to be paid if this road is taken over that road, and utterly charmed, still, by the hat. "On all the [hat] trees, on all the branches, among all those dozens of leaves, there could not be a more controversial choice," she writes.

"A Slant of Sun" is the real deal. It's a compelling story, compellingly told. It will hold up to the light.

A Slant of Sun, is the beautifully written story of one boy's triumph over a diagnosis of "pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified". Authored by his mother, Beth Kephart, we are taken on a journey through the heartaches, frustrations and joys of their relationship to each other and to the world. Ms. Kephart eloquently brings to our awareness the fact that each child is unique and that each parent has the opportunity to alter the course of a life by his or her willingness to challenge conventional thinking. Through the author's determination and love for her son and by Jeremy's strength, she guides and supports him in his courageous struggle. Ms. Kephart has the unique ability to bare her soul while maintaining the book's focus on her son and his day-by-day victories. For any one who has ever loved a child, A Slant of Sun promises to engross you with its depth, honesty and bravery.

Beth Kephart writes very well. I was totally hooked on this book after reading only a few pages. She is both a fierce advocate for her son and an interesting analyst of his difficulties. She takes us through her own journey and that of her son, from the first suspicions that something is wrong, through the struggle for a diagnosis, through the therapy and her realization that sometimes she ought to trust her instincts about her son more than the opinions of the experts. Though my own child does not suffer from any of Jeremy's problems, I gained considerable insight about parenting from this book.

You are likely to find this story fascinating whether you have any children or not.

A Slant of Sun: One Child's Courage By Beth Kephart, May 1998, W.W. Norton & Company; 249pp

As each of us have become parents, we have watched in awe the transformation of a swollen embodiment of hope into a human being who personifies our genetic material. Eternally compelling, we behold, we examine, we are astonished. For most parents, the gift of watching a child grow is truly a profound experience; but nothing is more heart wrenching than to watch a child grow with difficulty. Beth Kephart takes us into that vigilant world of a parent with a child who diverges from the path of normal development in her outstanding book, A Slant of Sun: One Child's Courage. Yet, this particular book is so much more than a story about loving parents who diligently and successfully maneuver their gifted, mildly autistic child through the maze of denial, disillusionment, doctors and diagnoses. The fact is, this book is a must read because of Kephart's incredible style of writing words that fit together like a correctly completed rubric's cube. Kephart's ability to detail the ordinary moments of life transform them into the extraordinary. Her lyrical prose is sumptuous. Her vivid word combinations always satisfy. I recommend that you pick up a copy of Beth Kephart's book, find a warm slant of sun to read by, and enjoy!

As one who appreciates beautiful writing and as the mother of a son with PDD, I absolutely loved this book. There were many moments I recognized from my own experience in the roller coaster-like highs and lows Ms. Kephart experienced, the sterile and absolute reports from the medical community, and, worst of all, the rejection of her child. The only additional experience I've had that she didn't report is the blame that others would like to lay at the feet of the parents of such a child. Like Jeremy, my son has made great progress and is a high school honor student at our local public high school. While he doesn't spend time with friends, he's gained enough social confidence to enjoy social functions.

I'm glad that this book is drawing an audience beyond those with an interest in autism-like disorders, however, if you finish the book and don't question the way we as a society define "normal," then you've missed the point of the book.

This book is a must read for parents of children finding their way back from the cloud of autism spectrum disorders. Beth Kephart paints a picture, not just of a heartbreaking condition but also of hope and joy in the midst of recovery. As the mother of a toddler battling the same mysterious condition I appreciated her acceptance and delight in her son. Beth Kephart put into words perfectly how parenting an autistic child can be so magical and thrilling and so sad and heartbreaking at the same time. Her refusal to let a diagnosis define her son is inspiring.

This is an excellent book to read as a companion to all the information books about autism and pdd. Her son is not 'cured' but he is back, loving and being loved.

Aside from the story itself Beth Kephart's use of words and language make the book worth reading, she writes beautifully.

A wonderful book.

A Slant of Sun is a beautiful book written about a boy whose dignity and integrity teach his mother many things. This book is not an appropriate selection for parents who are seeking a plan of action or a series of steps to take toward a child's wholeness; the author makes it clear, repeatedly, that what worked well for her child is not necessarily a prescription for all children. Instead, A Slant of Sun is a book for those who believe it is important to step back, to spend time with their children, and to learn the lessons that they teach. It is a book for those who have been profoundly moved by their own child's first words, by unexpected gestures of love.

I am deeply disturbed at the idea that many readers who choose this book will be mothers of PDD kids, who like myself, seek new ideas, insights, the consolation of shared experience, and the special validation that only the printed word can convey. I found none of these things. Quite the opposite. This book made me so depressed and angry, I was unable to finish it.

Maybe I was the only reader to notice that Ms. Kephart's prose is distinctly self-congratulatory. Intended, or not, the sub-text on every page is that her patience, intuition, dedication, love,(and, yes, suffering) have given her son a normal life.

Well, I guess the rest of us,who have not yet wrought a miracle, must be somehow lacking in mother's intuition or perhaps, just not trying hard enough. She shows no grace to those still on the front lines four, five and ten years after diagnosis; We who are still running from occupational therapist, to physical therapist, to speech therapist, to socialization classes, conferences with educators, psychologists, and nutritionists, to wholistic healers, traditional healers, and experimental healers; we who see a PDD that is not sweet and tender (If only my son would simply insist upon wearing a green hat.),but that is scary and sometimes ugly. What about us?

It used to be that the experts made us feel that our children were impaired because we were bad mothers. It is a sad irony that now we have Ms. Kephart to tell us that if we were only as good a mother as she, our children might be whole.

It should be noted that the book does have value to parents of the newly diagnosed in that it sends a powerful message of hope and the reassurance that our efforts will be rewarded with progress. It does reveal the notion that raising an atypical child can have a sort-of perverse beauty and is in fact, a spiritual journey, as well as one of self-exploration. And most importantly, it may give some the courage to buck the establishment,in defense of their children, for advocacy is one of the most important things we can give them. All these things are important, but realize that Jeremy is very unlike the typical PDD child and that from where I sit, Beth Kephart is not only clueless about the less sentimental realities of continuing life with a PDD child, but she is also, without doubt, the luckiest woman in America.

To all the parents who have been living with PDD or autism for awhile now, and for whom this review is intended: Keep up the good fight and put something else on your bedside table.

The author writes in a highly personal, lyrical, and IMO
somewhat self-indulgent style. It's not my cup of tea, but
if there is a large audience for this form of writing, more
power to the author. I personally think that the most useful
message to come out of this book is "trust your instincts".
The primary inspiration is Beth's courage, amidst
the shock of dealing initially with the PDD-NOS conunudrum,
to tune out the noise, and chart Jeremy's course
herself based on her own instincts of what felt right
and what seemed to worked best for him. Having been in
a similar albeit less traumatic situation, I can't
convey how much courage it takes to jettison, or at
least cherry-pick among the advice of the experts. The
instinct to let the experts take over is very powerful
when you are searching for answers, and want to protect
your child from something unknown and frightening. But
when it comes to autism spectrum disorders, parental
instinct can often trump psychology.

Beth Kephart's moving account about Jeremy's seemingly autistic behaviors and his condemnatory diagnosis is unflichingly honest. Bright and beautiful, Jeremy spoke early and made all developmental milestones within normal limits. However, shortly after turning a year and a half, his speech seemed to freeze in mid-developmental track and he began exhibiting rigid ritualistic behaviors. Luckily, the author had him enrolled in preschool and had early intervention specialists working with Jeremy. It is through this loving effort that Jeremy was able to detour the more traditional trappings of autism and enjoy a healthy, regular lifestyle.

I loved the stories Jeremy told, especially the one where he would "wait for the Red Baron." Beth Kephart, to her credit, joins Jeremy in this wishful flight of fancy.

I did get a little impatient with the author when she wanted to ram stories of her skating career down Jeremey's throat. Jeremy was antsy and did not want to listen to this seemingly long drawn out account. I liked it when Jeremy was interested in his great grandfather's car, a green 1969 Dodge Dart. (I love Dodge Darts and for me, the critical part of the story was answered -- the year and color of the Dodge Dart). Although that seems like a minor peeve, I did feel that the author just wanted a forum to brag about her skating and forced this story on Jeremy, ostensibly to help the boy increase his attention span for listening skills.

All in all, it was a delightful read. Jeremy walks in the Sun of Health and really is a bright light. I would highly recommend this book.