Review: Daniel Isn't Talking, by Marti Leimbach

Many of you may remember Marti Leimbach for another of her works, 'Dying Young', which was made into a movie starring Julia Roberts. Her latest novel, Daniel Isn't Talking, focuses once again around a medical issue, albeit certainly not a fatal one - autism.

Melanie is the mother of Daniel, who at three years of age cannot communicate other than by screaming, cannot sleep through the night, cannot use the toilet, and who is interested only in one wooden toy. As the novel begins, Daniel is undiagnosed, and Melanie is losing her mind trying to cope with raising Daniel and his sister, Emily, in a home where their father, Stephen, is desperately insisting that there is nothing wrong with anyone but Melanie, who he feels is imagining things. Once Daniel is diagnosed, Stephen immediately begins to insist that Daniel belongs in a special program, essentially away from the family, an option that is advocated strongly by the so-called experts Melanie initially consults. Their disagreement on how to work with Daniel, and the emotional disconnect that has festered between them for years, results in Stephen moving out, while Melanie begins to sell her posessions in an effort to get her son the treatment he needs.

While it took me a little while to get into this novel, once the real story began, I was hooked. The first few chapters deal mainly with Melanie's mental and emotional struggles over her fears for Daniel, and involve many visits with a therapist who basically drops out of the picture once the couple splits. I felt that for something to have been such a major part of the book, it is a little odd to have that topic dropped, but I was actually relieved; the therapy sessions are really a ruse to provide a backround on Melanie and her various relationships, so once that information has been provided, there's really no use for him, anyway. I was very interested in the process that Melanie goes through on finding out more about autism, and in the various therapies she tries. I do not have an autistic child myself, but know several children who are, and I feel like this story provides insight into their families, and what it must be like for them.

I also think that the relationship Melanie begins with Daniel's therapist was pleasant to read about, and I liked that it didn't add unnecessary drama to the story. No one had a fit of 'it's him or me'; it was very low-key, if overwhelmingly convenient. I also liked how Stephen's leaving was handled - Leimbach mentions events and phone conversations after the fact, where Melanie had apparently begged Stephen to return home, but there isn't overmuch painful detail. Stephen is developed in a satisfying way, and the final act of their relationship made me smile.

Review: three out of five stars - interesting and informative without being overdone