MANY A SUDDEN CHANGE

A fractured family comes together to raise an autistic child.

Zacher’s debut novel is an unsparingly dramatic read from the beginning. Eight-year-old Eric survives the car accident that kills his mother, Megan, leaving him in the care of his grandmother Clarice. To make matters worse, Eric is severely autistic and Clarice is ill-equipped to manage his compulsive behavior, violent fits, and seizures. Eric’s father, Matt, was serving in Iraq when he was born, and the father and son have never met. Clarice contacts Matt to inform him about Megan’s death but withholds Eric’s diagnosis: “I planned to tell him about the autism. Then he asked if Eric knew about him. When I told him no, the conversation ended abruptly.” Once back in California, Matt is crestfallen when he meets Eric. “You had a responsibility to tell me,” he says to Clarice while Eric has a “meltdown” nearby. Fortunately for the characters (and readers), life improves from there. Matt slowly develops a loving relationship with Eric and begins therapy for PTSD. Clarice and Matt build a strong rapport, and Eric, who has referred to them as “CaHeese” and “Mattwho,” promises to call them “Grammy” and “Dad.” Between Megan’s death and Clarice’s grief as well as violent outbursts from both Eric and Matt, the story can feel unrelenting. But the novel is also rich and captivating. The characters are incredibly well drawn, particularly Eric, who loves snakes, dancing, and asking questions: “Do tadpoles go to heaven?” The author deftly handles Eric’s condition and the attention he needs to thrive. His classroom, for example, includes diverse special needs students as well as skilled and compassionate instructors. Jenny, a teaching aide, possesses a particularly “easy way” with the children: “A twinkle in her eye made you feel you could readily warm up to her.” Segments of the tale feel melodramatic, particularly regarding Matt’s service overseas. “You showed me what being a man’s all about, and I wanted you to know,” a subordinate tells Matt before getting killed. Ultimately, though, the story is well executed, offering a memorable glimpse of a family emerging from the ashes of trauma.

A poignant tale about grappling with loss, disability, and forgiveness.