Looking After, 9781529151848
Hardcover
An autistic life, love, loss, and the enduring bond of family.

Looking After

a portrait of my autistic brother

$53.29

  • Hardcover

    352 pages

  • Release Date

    26 April 2025

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Summary

A Life Observed: Autism, Family, and the Bonds That Endure

Meet Lionel, Caroline’s older brother. Born in the late 1940s, when little was known about autism, Lionel was considered a peculiarity. From the beginning, he was a silent child, oblivious to the people around him and intent only on playing with his toy trucks. By the time he turned four, doctors declared him ineducable and advised that he be institutionalised - a shockingly standard practice at the time.

No one coul…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781529151848
ISBN-10:1529151848
Author:Caroline Elton
Publisher:Cornerstone
Imprint:Hutchinson Heinemann
Format:Hardcover
Number of Pages:352
Release Date:26 April 2025
Weight:447g
Dimensions:224mm x 146mm x 32mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

A beautiful, bracing gem of a book, quite unlike any other family memoir I’ve ever read. Candid and tender in equal measure, incredibly moving but also lucid and life affirming, this is such an important book about familial love, about where and how it meets the imperfect world outside. Gripping too. Even though technically one knows from the outset what is going to happen, I found it hard to put down. By the closing pages, I felt I had grown to love Lionel too and that I would never forget him. Looking After is a triumph. – Polly Morland, author of A FORTUNATE WOMANBeautifully written, erudite and important, Dr Caroline Elton writes as a psychologist second, sister first - which is exactly right. Looking After is a love letter to an autistic brother and to family itself, and a reminder of the power of empathy to save lives. – Christie Watson, author of MORAL INJURIESA sister’s loving tribute and a powerful call for compassionate change – Leah Hazard, author of HARD PUSHEDA book that deserves a wide readership. Lionel’s story sucked me in straight away, and held me captive to the very last page. Wise, compassionate and compellingly told – Monica Ali

About The Author

Caroline Elton

Caroline Elton was born in north London, the youngest child after her sister Liz and their older brother, Lionel, who was autistic. Originally trained as a teacher, she changed career direction and for the past 25 years has worked as a psychologist who specialises in supporting medical students and doctors. The author of Also Human- The Inner Lives of Doctors, Caroline was appointed as Associate Professor/Senior Adviser at Norwich Medical school in 2022. She is married, with three children, and still lives in north London.

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