A young boy slouched in the pull-down section of a lady’s shopping cart. His mother, like me, was waiting in line at the deli. To pass the time, I decided to converse with the child.

"Hello," I said to the top of his curly dark hair. His head stayed  down. Shy, I thought. "What’s your name?" I continued.

The boy didn’t look up, didn’t answer. I could deal with that. Weren’t we as children taught to ignore strangers?

Although I didn’t persist, the mother turned around and said in a neutral voice, "He’s autistic."

Wow! What do you say when someone makes a painful revelation like that?  What would
"Dear Abby"  advise?

I dug into my mind for possible responses.

"Ah," I smiled. "You have one of God’s special children."

She nodded and then turned to the meat counter, ending further conversation. Her son stayed in his private world.

It’s been a year since that encounter, but the mother's demeanor stayed with me. Did her deadpan response indicate she had made peace with herself about the boy’s diagnosis? Or was she hoping a stranger would help unlock the puzzle of her son’s existence?

Autism is a neurological disorder which typically appears in the first three years of a child’s life. Signs include problems speaking, interacting with others, sharing affection, and learning. The hardest part for a parent—their affected son or daughter doesn’t want to be touched.

Researchers believe genetic factors play a part. Environmental stresses may also change the course of brain development in utero. One fact is provable: autism is on the rise throughout the world. This information can be found on Autism Speaks:

• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys.
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
• Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

A thorough discussion of autism would include the wide spectrum of the disease. A technical essay is not my purpose. Rather, I want to interest readers in Lisa Genova’s newest novel: Love Anthony. That’s right—no comma.

The author has a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. Her best seller Still Alice deals with early onset Alzheimer’s. Her second novel is the story of a supermom and a car accident that paralyzes the left side of her brain. Left Neglected refers to the parts of her body that don’t behave anymore.

In Love Anthony I’m not giving anything away by revealing that the beautiful blonde boy who loved to line up stones on the beach died at eight. We know from the start that his devoted but bewildered mother, Olivia, is trying to understand the meaning of her autistic son’s life and death. What was his purpose?

At the same time, another woman who stays the cold winter in Nantucket has a different heartbreak. Her husband of fifteen years is cheating on her. To escape her sorrow, she turns the clock back to the days she dreamed about being a writer. She remembers six years ago seeing a boy on the beach collecting stones (the prologue). Her children invited him to join them, but it seemed he preferred to be alone. She doesn't connect his behavior to autism.

Beth’s imagination leads her to write a story linking this boy with an idea she dreamed years ago.  Finding a personal space in the library, she starts to type.  The name Anthony pops in her head.  Her fingers work non-stop. She has no idea where her muse is heading.

Her path crosses with Olivia's when she asks the new photographer to take pictures of her family without the husband. They share no details of their private lives. But when Olivia tells Beth she used to be an editor, the wannabe novelist asks her to read the untitled book.  Olivia is stunned by the contents.

"But it’s not finished, yet," she tells Beth. "Anthony has more to say."

So the author returns to the library for inspiratation again. Her fingers work magic. Olivia was right. The book wasn't done. In the final chapter Beth and Olivia find the answer each one is seeking: It's the same in both cases.

Olivia: What was the purpose of Anthony’s life?

Beth: Should I give my husband a second chance? Can I ever trust him again?

Don’t peek at the ending. The beauty and suspense lies in the journey of all three characters: Beth, Olivia, and the autistic boy too.  After the last page, the reader will understand the Anthony’s of this world and the messages they bring. Love Anthony may be fiction, but the details ring true.