Product Details:
- Title: A Night on Moon Hill
- Author: Tanya Parker Mills
- Paperback: 301 pages
- Publisher: Walnut Springs Press. (September 20, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 159992868X
- ISBN-13: 978-1599928685
- FTC FYI: I was given a review copy from Walnut Springs in exchange for an honest review.
Book Description:
Swimming is Daphne's one refuge until the night she finds a body in her pool.
University professor and renowned author Daphne Lessing has never felt at ease in society. But a disturbing occurrence in her once calm and controlled existence suddenly unearths events from her past and thrusts an unusual child into her life.
Ten-year-old Eric has Asperger's syndrome and is obsessed with fishing and angels. Soon, Daphne finds herself attached to him and faced with a choice: Does she leave him and return to her solitary, ordered life, trusting others to do right by him, or does she allow this bright child to draw her into the world she has tried to shun? And what about the man that came into Daphne's life with Eric? Will she be able to shut him out as well?
My Review:
I picked up A Night on Moon Hill and was immediately surprised about how fast I was pulled into this story.The novel starts with a bang and a big mystery about the body that Daphne finds floating in her swimming pool. Though Daphne seems to be a hard to relate to character, she is very intriguing. As her story and life unfolds, you can't stop reading because you want to know more.
The story becomes even more interesting when 10 year old Eric, a precocious young boy with Aspergers Syndrome, enters her life. Daphne is drawn to this intelligent child and finds that they have so much in common. I loved Eric as he reminds me of several children that I have taught in the past that fall somewhere along the ASD Spectrum.Here is some information if you don't know a lot about ASD.
What are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities which affect behavior, communication and social interaction. Most children with ASDs appear to develop relatively normally until the ages of 18 to 36 months. During this window parents or professionals begin to notice developmental delays. Mild forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder may resemble a learning disability while more severe forms may involve substantial impairment of communication, learning and social abilities, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli and sometimes self-injurious behavior. Individuals with Autism may have one or two skill areas which exceed age-matched peers’ skill levels. These skills frequently appear in the areas of mathematical computation, music, art or memory. Children with milder forms of ASD may be diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or with Asperger’s Disorder.
I wanted to point out that I read the first 100 pages so fast it shocked me! I looked down and there was page "100". This story is so well written, and with characters that bring you into the story so deeply, you will have this novel read in no time. What will you find in this novel? A great combination of suspense, angst, romance and relationships that will truly make you think. You will also look at life and people a little differently. I love the respect and care that Tanya has given to the tender subjects found within the pages of this novel. For all of this, I'm giving this book 5 stars!
Tanya Parker Mills grew up overseas in some pretty volatile
areas and, as a result, likes to write fiction that builds understanding
between people and cultures. She graduated from Brigham Young University in Broadcast Journalism
with a minor in Political Science and worked for Sunset Magazine for a couple
of years as an Assistant Editor for Trade Publications. Her first novel, THE RECKONING, was a 2008 Whitney
Finalist, the 2009 Indie Book Award Winner for Multicultural Fiction, and the
2010 Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award Winner for
Mainstream/Literary Fiction. Her new novel, A
NIGHT ON MOON HILL, just came out in September and was inspired by her son,
Jason, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at age six.
You can reach Tanya here at her website http://www.tanyaparkermills.com/
You can reach Tanya here at her website http://www.tanyaparkermills.com/
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