The Boy who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette

I have always enjoyed Kathy Lette’s work.  Humorous, witty, irreverent.  She came from Australia originally and now lives in the UK.  Her outlook on life appeals to me – as another Antipodean.

This is her latest novel.  It deals in a light (but illuminating too) way with the trials, tribulations and delights of a mother bringing up a child with autism (more severe Asperger’s, I think).  Often books about this sort of thing are so worthy and tear jerky – but this rollicks along – it makes you think but doesn’t overwhelm you.

It wasn’t until after I read the book that I found out that Lette, herself, has a grown son with Asperger’s – she got his permission before publishing the book and says he is not as far on the spectrum as Merlin in the book.  Yes, Merlin.  That was perhaps the only off-putting thing for me – who on earth would ever saddle a child with that name.

Lucy, the main character, is smart and sassy.  The book is mostly about her – which I see a couple of people complaining about on Amazon.  The 2 male protagonists are a bit out there in terms of being extremes – but hey, it’s fiction, right?

The book is a great read.  One slight warning – there is some of what might be called “smut” in the book – but I didn’t find any of it gratuitous.

This is the blurb about the book from Kathy Lette’s own site: 

Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son - who just happens to be autistic.Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch shortly after his diagnosis, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her eccentrically adorable yet challenging child, (if only Merlin came with operating instructions) Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life.By the time Merlin turns ten, Lucy is seriously worried that the Pope might start ringing her up for tips on celibacy, so resolves to dip a poorly pedicured toe back into the world of dating. Thanks to Merlin's candour and quirkiness, things don't go quite to plan... Then, just when Lucy's resigned to a life of singledom once more, Archie - the most imperfectly perfect man for her and her son - lands on her doorstep. But then, so does Merlin's father, begging for forgiveness and a second chance. Does Lucy need a real father for Merlin - or a real partner for herself?