BREATHING UNDER WATER

The mother of an autistic high school student forms a bond with a college swimmer as they deal with varied challenges.

Berry Selinger is the vice principal at a prestigious private school where she’s hoping to be promoted to principal now that her boss is retiring. But at home, things are strained. She’s a fierce advocate for her autistic son, Leo Becker, but as he gets older and his needs change, she’s not sure she’s making the right decisions. Also, Berry worries about her husband’s secrecy and no longer feels they’re on the same page about Leo’s care. When she learns about an opportunity for Leo to be a teacher’s assistant at a swim class for autistic kids, she’s hopeful that it will help him come out of his shell and learn to swim at the same time. It’s there that Leo meets McKenna Jamison, a college student on a swim scholarship who’s teaching the class. Between spending long hours in the pool and working hard in class to meet the requirements of her scholarship, McKenna is at her breaking point—and then her grandmother, her only family member, moves into a memory care facility. McKenna’s taken the teaching gig as a way to get community service hours for her scholarship, but she soon finds that she likes working with kids. She even forms a friendship with Leo, who otherwise struggles to connect with people outside his family. But when McKenna runs into difficulties with school and her job, their connection—as well as her financial stability—is threatened. Although the story is told from Berry’s and McKenna’s perspectives, Leo is the character bringing them together. His growth and change are paramount, and he feels like a real person, not a token. In her author’s note, Friedland writes that her interest in autism came from her mother, who was a pioneer in autism teaching and research. As Friedland puts it, “Every child deserves to be seen, to be challenged, and most of all, to be respected and understood.”

A touching novel about unexpected connections and found family.