Karl Greenfeld was born just 18 months before his younger brother Noah, so he has no recollection of what his life was like before Noah was born. What he does remember is all of his parent's attention being directed toward his younger brother while he was growing up, because Noah is severely autistic; unable to speak for himself, clean himself, and given to violent tantrums. His brother, who spits, twiddles his fingers, and bobs his head, is oblivious to those around him, which also caused the author to feel alienated from the people in his life while they were growing up. Their father also wrote a trilogy of books about Noah, which thrust the family into the national spotlight adding to the author's feelings of alienation. As a teen the author slipped into drug and alcohol addiction, which lasted into his adulthood. In Boy Alone: A Brother's Memoir, Greenfeld deals honestly and compassionately with his family as he describes the extraordinary circumstances they coped with and he also explores what it means to be a family, a brother, and a person.
Submitted by KMJ @ East
