The Perfect Son

By: Barbara Claypole White

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

From a distance Felix Fitzwilliam, the son of an old English family, is a good husband and father. But, obsessed with order and routine, he's a prisoner to perfection. Disengaged from the emotional life of his North Carolina family, Felix has let his wife, Ella, deal with their special-needs son by herself.

A talented jewelry designer turned full-time mother, Ella is the family rock...until her heart attack shatters their carefully structured existence. Now Harry, a gifted teen grappling with the chaos of Tourette's syndrome, confronts a world outside his parents' control, one that tests his desire for independence.

As Harry searches for his future and Ella adapts to the limits of her failing health, Felix struggles with his past and present roles. To prevent the family from being ripped apart, they must each bend with the inevitability of change and reinforce the ties that bind.

©2015 Barbara Claypole White (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

Thoroughly Excellent!

This one is so much more (and better) than I had expected! I know young boys with "tics" and neuro disorders and this family story is not to be missed by anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how these circumstances affect children and parents.

Loved the way the characters grow in their relationships to each other, finding new talents, abilities and roles in the family.

The narration is spot on and listeners can't help but feel connected to the central story and characters of this novel.

A Different Perspective

Any additional comments?

This is the story of a family in crisis. The son has turrets and ADHD. The mother makes him her entire life. She ends up so stressed she has a heart attack. The father is obsessed with working to provide for his family and being perfect. He has some issues of his own mentally as in needing things perfect. It's great at giving perspective if you don't have experience with these neurodiversities. Also, the mother and father do not have good communication skills with each other. All members of the family don't address issues, and ignoring them makes them worse and leads to compounding problems. They all love each other but no one really knows how the other feels. It's a great example of being honest and open with the people you love. I enjoyed it.

great book

loved this book and the narration. laughes out loud and cried. will definitely look for mores by this author,

Walk a Mile in OUR Shoes

Wow! Just Wow! Okay, it has some fowl language . . . that's life . . . that's Tourette's . . . it has some life situations that are hard to deal with . . . wouldn't want to deal with them in my own family, and thank God, I haven't had to . . . they are dealt with gently, with love and with NO agenda . . . I will leave it there . . . but the story of this family, the story of Harry, Ella and Felix . . . is one of the best EVER . . . if you don't know much about "special" kids, you need to listen to this . . . if you DO know about them or like us, HAVE one, you need to hear this . . . oh, my . . . I've been in Walmart with our autistic daughter and had to leave so many times, left crying my eyes out . . . fought with her teachers and administrators (and get this: my husband IS an administrator and former special ed teacher) . . . had to go to school when a teacher quit . . . yes, QUIT and left the entire classroom, couldn't handle it . . . and SPLIT . . . had to leave a church we'd been members of for YEARS because they would no longer accept or take our daughter in Sunday School :( yes, people . . . that's life with Tourette's, autism, special needs . . . and unlike Harry's family, we have four other kids . . . but we didn't have heart failure . . . we ALL have our crosses to bear . . . in a cruel world that does not give two hoots in h*** . . . and we are all quirky and weird, like Felix . . . we've all been beaten, physically, mentally, emotionally by our pasts . . . so listen up, folks . . . this is a book you need to read/hear/absorb . . . you might hide your warts on the inside, but believe me, you've got them . . . BRAVO, Barbara Claypole White! Well written, well done!

I loved this story.

I loved reading those in depth moments of internal struggle that the 3 main characters were dealing with. It's that stuff you worry about but never vocalize that got to me.

The narration was also very good with this story. A lot of talent in this reader. I felt all of the different characters in her reading.

Love builds bridges.

I really enjoyed this timely and well written book Great characters .The narration only enhanced the story. I highly recommend it.

Beautiful story

I love the characters in the book especially the neighbor.
We can all learn from each other.
Great summer read

Not that interesting

I finished this book for the sake of finishing. Took many months of listening to small bits at a time.
It didn't have anything to say except people with Terrets can lead normal lives.

So Bittersweet

Would you listen to The Perfect Son again? Why?

I would listen again. I read the book before buying Audible copy and so enjoyed listening to it. Listening again would just let me absorb some of the moments that I missed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think Felix was my favorite because he was such a complex character and due to tragic circumstances he had to learn some hard truths about himself and was able to face them and grow.

Which character – as performed by Justine Eyre – was your favorite?

She did such a good job with the different voices it would be hard to choose. I think her narration has been my favorite since listening to Audible's.

Who was the most memorable character of The Perfect Son and why?

I liked the loyalty of Max. He was such a good friend.

Touching story!

This story shows a family coming together to help each other thru a hard time. A father stepping into a involved father and learning to love his son for who he is and not who he wanted him to be. A father filling his wives shoes as she focuses of recovering. Love this book.