Last night I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. I went to bed at 11:00. I wasn't doing anything I can't write about here, either.

I was reading my newest Kindle 2 download, The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson.

Like a schoolgirl who's laid hands on her first bodice-ripper and reads it with fascinated, secret relish, I could not put this book down. It's that compelling. Even if you care not an iota about horses, you'll enjoy this book.

This is no passionate daddy blogger who has hit it big with a timely subject. Isaacson is a professional equestrian, travel, and human rights writer who happens to have a son with autism. His prose is elegant without being overwrought, as a passionate topic like this might be. His love of nature shines through with his descriptions of Texas flora and fauna, down to the Latin names of trees and plants, though this is not a pedantic work. You just get the sense that the natural world is important to Isaacson. Early on, this is an important clue as to how his family will deal with the son who tests their hearts and all their resources.



Isaacson's story thus far has touched a lot of nerves with me. As the single parent of a chronically, critically ill child, I have dealt with many similar issues for upwards of seventeen years. I found myself compulsively highlighting the book as I read. If for no other reason, this book has value for me. But there is so much more, especially from an equine point of view.


For a radically different point of view on this subject, read this ...