Wall of Silence

Wall of Silence opens with the point of view of a child who stabbed a family member ... their father, Patrick. 

All three siblings stick together and refuse to tell who did it. The family seemed perfect, and everyone in the community is stunned at this awful event. Melissa, the mother of the children is the one who came upon her husband surrounded by the children. Her devotion to Patrick and her children brings her to the brink of despair when the police deem it an attempted murder.

This book kept me wondering just who stabbed Patrick. Surprisingly, her children are not evil, and all of them are tortured by the event. Yet all three keep a tight hold on what really happened. Melissa, the mother, is the main character. I admired the way she protected her children while searching for answers. 

The child at fault chimes in from time to time with more insight into the awful event, (though I still wasn’t sure who this child is.) At times I wondered if it was one of the children after all. Was it an adult the kids are covering for? Was it someone else in the family, or someone else in the tight-knit  community? 

Even with the father finally waking from a coma, and telling who plunged the knife into him, the answers remain unclear.

I was grabbed by the throat, heart, and mind upon the the first few sentences, and never released until the last page of this book. 

First sentences of Wall of Silence:

I thought Dad’s blood would smell of him, that soft citrus scent I’ve known all my life. But all I can smell on my hands are bitter pennies.

I look down on his face. He’s so white, so quiet.

Is this really happening?

5 stars

Neuro Tribes by Steve Silberman

Release date : August 25, 2015

Neuro Tribes—The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

By Steve Silberman

As a mother of an autistic son, I couldn't wait to read this book. Though I have done extensive research into Autism, Steve Silberman opened up the archives of history for me! The previously untold, and sometimes muddied history of diagnosis, treatment (and mistreatment) of the disorder was opened up by Steve Silberman's research. He told the story with such depth, I found it hard to put this book down.

However, Neuro Tribes isn't just about history. It's about the future of the autism community as a whole. It gives hope and new insight to the "neuro-typical" population to accept and embrace the qualities of autism.

I recommend this book to everyone; not only those involved in the autism community, but those who wish to gain knowledge about this mysterious, yet intriguing thing called Autism.  It is no longer an affliction, but a quality and different way of observing—and a pin-point observation that most of us don't have. Steve Silberman gives many examples how those with autism have benefited and changed the world we live in today.

4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ARC from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255