The latest book I finished was The Boy in the Moon: A Father’s Journey to Understand his Extraordinary Son by Ian Brown. Ian shares his story about his son, Walker, who has an incredibly rare genetic condition called Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome. Only one in about 300 people worldwide is diagnosed. Walker is unable to speak or effectively communicate, constantly tries to harm himself, and will need constant care for the rest of his life.
I have mixed feelings in recommending this book. Ian is honest and doesn’t attempt to cast Walker as an angel shared with him to teach a larger lesson. He shares his doubts and insecurities with brutal honesty. All of this is done in a chronological progression, taking you through the family’s journey. However, by the middle of the book, Ian shifts to more of a rambling research report with awkward attempts to tie it back to Walker and the family. I often found myself skimming over chapters to get back to back to the personal story.
Regardless, it was a moving story and nothing like the books I typically pick up so it was worth the deviation off my usual path. Do you have a type of book you tend to gravitate towards or do you read a variety of genres?
