My client and friend Eli Gottlieb has created an unforgettable character in his latest novel, Best Boy. Todd is an autistic man who has been institutionalized for most of his life. He’s loosely based on Eli’s brother and this is a short film about them. It’s one of those rare occasions where you can see the life/art continuum.
New York Times Editor’s Choice “Gottlieb merits praise for both the endearing eloquence of Todd’s voice and a deeply sympathetic parable that speaks to a time when rising autism rates and long-lived elders force many to weigh tough options.” – Kirkus, Starred Review |
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| “Raw and beautiful… BEST BOY is an eventful novel with a mesmerizingly rhythmic narration…What rises and shines from the page is Todd Aaron, a hero of such singular character and clear spirit that you will follow him anywhere. You won’t just root for him, you will fight and push and pray for him to wrest control of his future. You will read this book in one sitting or maybe two, and, I promise, you will miss this man deeply when you are done.” – Ann Bauer, The Washington Post “
Amid the flood of books about autism in childhood comes this gripping novel about the fresher territory of autism in midlife. It is written with élan, wit, and great empathy, and it limns in fiction the crisis our nation faces in real life as we try to construct viable supports for this burgeoning population.” – Andrew Solomon “This astonishing story of goodness and resilience, about the adventure of loving and being loved, is a marvel of Wordsworthian perception, inviting us to behold existence through unclouded eyes, with an unguarded heart, as though we and the world had never grown apart. The music of consciousness playing in these pages will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. A literary experience of piercing, invigorating, profound humanity. A homecoming that restores the mind and soul.” – Walter Kirn “In the way of all things happening for a reason, Gottlieb’s marvelous novel has happened so that readers may be in awe of all the universe’s creations.” – Booklist, Starred Review “BEST BOY is a remarkable achievement – an intimate and convincing portrayal of what the world looks like from inside the mind of a mentally handicapped but unusually sensitive, observant, and decent man.” – Alison Lurie “Gottlieb records the utterly confounding and inevitable plunge into adulthood with bold clarity. He depicts the spoken and unspoken language of cruelty and love in a family with confidence and poetry. But he is at his very best in the freshness of his imagery, creating a world so vivid and memorable the reader finds all five senses delightfully engaged in experiencing it.”– Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
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Betsy Lerner 
Those are some fantastic reviews. I will definitely add this to my reading list.
I have this book ordered – and when I went out there to do it, look at what is on Amazon’s page about BEST BOY:
New York Times Editor’s Choice
People Magazine Pick of the Week
A Washington Post Notable Book
Library Journal Top Ten Books of 2015
BookPage Top Five Books of 2015
That must make you and your client very, very happy!
I’m interested in reading “Best Boy” for many reasons. Thank you.
I prefer a green field to cold, hard steel.