Book review: Don Meyer’s “Thicker than Water”
by Beth
Thicker than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities is a collection of essays by 39 different authors who grew up with a brother or sister who has a disability. Don Meyer edited the collection, and quite a number of the essays are about siblings with autism.
One essay was written by Tom Keating, a Ph.D., who specializes in assistive technology. He says his perspective is strongly influenced by his role as primary care provider for a brother with autism. Another author, Ann P. Kaiser, wrote an essay called Transition about her brother, who wasn’t diagnosed with autism until adulthood.
The essays by adult siblings of people with autism were not all sugary-sweet — the authors reveal both positive and negative aspects of growing up with someone who has autism. That’s what I liked best about the essays — they were honest.
Thicker than Water gave me an insider’s view of the decisions so many siblings have to make in regards to their families. All in all, an interesting and eye-opening read.