The Horse Boy tells the heartbreaking, exhilarating story of Rowan's autism and his parents' journey of hope. As they watch their only child recede into a nightmare of isolation punctuated by episodes of incandescent rage, Rupert discovers two things that seem to pull Rowan back towards them. His uncanny, almost spiritual, connection with horses, and the spontaneous bond he appears to form with some traditional healers visiting from indigenous communities. So a plan begins to form. The desperate, crazy plan of taking Rowan on an expedition to a place where horses and traditional healing - shamanism - come together as a cultural whole. Mongolia. This is the story of an extraordinary adventure. But the ordinary qualities of love and courage that inspired it will resonate with parents everywhere.

Reviews

In this intense, polished account, the Austin, Tex., parents of an autistic boy trek to the Mongolian steppes to consult shamans in a last-ditch effort to alter his unraveling behavior. Author Isaacson (The Healing Land) and his wife, Kristin, a psychology professor, were told that the developmental delays of their young son, Rowan, were caused by autism. Floored, the parents scrambled to find therapy, which was costly and seemed punitive, when Isaacson, an experienced rider and trainer of horses from his youth in England, hoisted Rowan up in the saddle with him and took therapeutic rides on Betsy, the neighbor's horse. The repetitive rocking and balance stimulation boosted Rowan's language ability; inspired by the results, as well as encouraged by such experts as Temple Grandin and Isaacson's own experience working with African shamans, Isaacson hit on the self-described crazy idea of taking Rowan to the original horse people, the Mongolians, and find shamans who could help heal their son. The family went in July, accompanied conveniently by a film crew and van, which five-year-old Rowan often refused to leave, and over several rugged weeks rode up mountains, forded rivers and camped, while enduring strange shamanic ceremonies. Isaacson records heartening improvement in Rowan's firestormlike tantrums and incontinence, as he taps into an ancient, valuable form of spirit healing. (Apr.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Verdict: Isaacson's memoir of traveling to Mongolia in an effort to help his autistic son is weak on the autism sections and recommended as a result for travel collections only. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/09.] Background: Travel writer Isaacson (Healing Land) chose Mongolia so his five-year-old autistic son, Rowan, could ride horses and to seek out shamans capable of "curing" Rowan. While Isaacson can masterfully evoke the Mongolian landscape and shaman ceremonies, his presentation of autism is wanting: Rowan's "recovery" on this short trip feels simplistic and superficial. For those seeking to connect meaningful animal experiences with autism, a much better choice would be Nuala Gardner's A Friend Like Henry.-Corey Seeman, Kresge Business Administration Lib., Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.