At Home in the Land of Oz: Autism, My Sister, and Me

Anne Clinard Barnhill's sister Becky was born in 1958, long before most people had even heard the term autism. Diagnosed with "emotional disturbance," Becky was subjected for much of her childhood to well-meaning but futile efforts at "rehabilitation" or "cure," as well as prolonged spells in institutions away from her family. Painting a vivid picture of growing up in small-town America during the Sixties, Barnhill describes her sister's and her own painful childhood experiences with compassion and honesty. Struggling with the separation from her sister, the awkwardness of boyfriends' reactions to her sister's erratic behaviour and the emotional and financial hardships the family experienced as a result of Becky's condition, Anne nevertheless found that her sister had something that "normal" people were unable to offer. Today, she is accepting of her sister's autism and the impact, both painful and positive, it has had on both their lives. This bittersweet memoir will resonate with families affected by autism and other developmental disorders and will appeal to everyone interested in the condition.