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https://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=manhatsmom20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0310266955&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifrHave you ever wondered if a novelist read your mind? Maybe she had a hidden camera in your home somewhere? Was he writing this book just for you? Tuesday night shortly before midnight I finished Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury. I don’t know how she did it, but she “got it”. She understood autism.

Unlocked shares the story of Holden Harris, a high school senior with autism. As usual, Karen masterfully creates a story that pulls you in. You are angry at the young men who bully the students on campus. As you read, you almost gawk at one mother’s superficiality and wonder how she lives with herself. Continuing through the story, you watch transformations of character, smiling in smiling in some places and grabbing for a tissue here and there.

Actually, I did not grab a tissue frequently. I normally do with Karen’s books. However, this time I had to steel myself emotionally to be able to read the novel. It is about a subject that I live every day~autism. When I made a first attempt at reading Unlocked, I practically fell apart just from the prologue! I was not ready to read the book and remain in control emotionally. I had to wait.

And I did. I waited about three months. I was finally at a place where I felt I could read the book without thinking of Dr. J (my son) the whole time, worrying about his future. I confess I approached it clinically, like a grad school assignment. I was not going to let my heart get too involved.

I managed quite well. I marvel at the way Karen chose Beauty & the Beast for a parallel plot. I stand in awe of the way she expresed the thoughts and feelings of parents of autistic children–their isolation, frustration, desperation, etc. I mentally applauded her for the nuances she included in Holden’s character (the way he looked out the window, the window with six squares of glass…). I was thankful for the facts she interspersed about autism, to give those untouched by autism a glimpse into my world. But I still hadn’t used a single Kleenex.

Then I got to page 308. I don’t want to quote from the story, because it’s close to the end of the book. But let’s just say when you get there, and you see what Holden says, you will know. You will know that even though my son is high-functioning and actually quite verbal, I look forward to the day when he can say something like that.

And so, Karen gets me bawling like a baby again. Her novels do that to me. If you would like a peek into the world of autism, or you parent a child on the spectrum and want to know someone “gets it,” I highly recommend Unlocked. Thank you, Karen, for treating my world with respect and kindness, and letting others understand just a bit.

You can watch Karen’s first-ever talk show that she produced when she released Unlocked! Click here!