By Lynn Willoughby
The Rosie Result ~ Graeme Simsion
This is the third “Rosie” book and I have loved every one. They are quirky, funny, tender and philosophical. This one deals with eleven year old Hudson – Rosie and Don’s son.
When Hudson corrects his teacher’s grammar, it is not appreciated. When Hudson’s awkward running, his inability to ride a bike or catch a ball or make any friends cause concern for this same teacher, it is time for Rosie and Don to get involved. And when Hudson brings a scalpel to school in order to dissect a pigeon he has killed, pandemonium erupts. There is no doubt that Hudson is “different”, with references to “psychopath” thrown in by the teacher. The school wants him tested for autism.
Don and Rosie are opposed to labels and will do everything they can to protect their son. This book deals a lot with autism, but also with albinism, family physical abuse, bullying, anti-vaxxers, women pursuing demanding careers who are held to a different standard then men, and why we are so obsessed with everyone “fitting in”. What a boring world it would be if we were all exactly the same. And isn’t our individual perception a big part of diversity?
“…that an initiative was effective but that the feelings behind it met with their approval. These were the people who considered Mother Teresa’s contributions to addressing poverty more important than that of the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.“
While there is a focus on what it means to be on the autism spectrum, to medicate or not, to force someone to change their basic personality to fit in, this book is so much more. It is about difference and identity. “…people with autism lack empathy for neurotypicals yet neurotypicals never adjust their own empathy for those with autism.”
This is the third and final book in the Rosie trilogy and I am sorry to see them end. I will miss you Rosie and Don and your diverse friends who are almost as offbeat and funny as you.
- The Rosie Project
- The Rosie Effect
Who Knew?
Albinism refers to a group of inherited disorders where there is little or no production of the pigment melanin. The type and amount of melanin your body produces determines the colour of your skin, hair and eyes.
