Following Ezra
What One Father Learned About Gumby, Otters, Autism, and Love From His Extraordi nary Son
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4.6 • 54 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A heartwarming, intimate, and amusing memoir of a father’s experience raising his autistic son.
When Tom Fields-Meyer’s son Ezra was three and showing early signs of autism, a therapist suggested that the father needed to grieve.
“For what?” Tom asked.
The answer: “For the child he didn't turn out to be.”
That moment helped strengthen the author’s resolve to do just the opposite: to love the child Ezra was, a quirky boy with a fascinating and complex mind. Full of tender moments and unexpected humor, Following Ezra is the story of a father and son on a ten-year journey from Ezra’s diagnosis to the dawn of his adolescence. It celebrates his growth from a toddler to an extraordinary young man, connected in his own remarkable ways to the world around him. And through Ezra’s eyes, Tom—and, in turn, the reader—gains a new and beautiful understanding of the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When their middle-son Ezra was 2, Fields-Meyer and wife Shawn (parents of two other boys, Ami and Noam) grew concerned about his unusual behavior. Ezra avoided eye contact, was non-communicative, and demonstrated serious difficulty coping with stimuli or engaging "normally." After he was diagnosed with autism the following year, Fields-Meyer and his wife worked with Ezra's teachers and friends to help him integrate into the wider world as much as possible. While Ezra struggled with aspects of social interaction (like tact), his gift for numbers, lists, and minutiae eventually allowed him to interact with people in ways his parents never expected. They never tried to force him into a mold of "normal" behavior, and everyone benefited from this approach. Fields-Meyer's touching memoir ends with Ezra's bar mitzvah, an event that both signaled the end of his childhood, and served as a benchmark of his ability to function in surprising ways. Neither terror nor saint, the charming Ezra's triumphs are more remarkable for their lack of super-human accomplishment, illustrating how ordinary families can persevere and thrive with love and patience.
Customer Reviews
Following Ezra
What an amazing love story between a son and his parents. Ezra has taught me so much.
Follow Ezra to the last page...you won't regret it!
Captivating. Powerful yet fast-moving, a father's tale of love for his son is a lesson for all, whether or not our kids are "special needs".
Wow
Wow, such a great book!!