The Anti-Romantic Child: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy

“The Anti-Romantic Child is remarkable. This haunting and lyrical memoir will be an invaluable and heartening guide to all who find themselves in similar situations and indeed anyone confronting an unforeseen challenge.” —Marie Brenner, writer for Vanity Fair and author of Apples and Oranges

With an emotionally resonant combination of memoir and literature, Wordsworth scholar Priscilla Gilman recounts the challenges of raising a son with hyperlexia, a developmental disorder neurologically counterpoint to dyslexia. Gilman explores the complexities of our hopes and expectations for our children and ourselves. With luminous prose and a searing, personal story evocative of A Year of Magical Thinking and A Year of Reading Proust, Gilman’s The Anti-Romantic Child is an unforgettable exploration of what happens when we lean to embrace the unexpected.

What happens when a Wordsworth scholar, steeped in the romantic ideal of childhood, has a son who is profoundly anti-romantic?

• A Mother’s Journey with Hyperlexia: Follows Priscilla Gilman’s story from the first signs of her son Benj's developmental differences through diagnosis and the search for understanding and support.
• Wordsworth and Parenthood: Explores how the author, a scholar of Romantic poetry, uses literature to navigate the complex emotions of parenting a child with special needs and find a new definition of joy.
• Parenting a Child with Special Needs: An honest and luminous account of the challenges, frustrations, and profound rewards of raising a child who experiences the world differently.
• Redefining Expectations: A deeply moving look at letting go of the child you expected in order to embrace the extraordinary, loving, and unforgettable child you have.