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

Enlightening

I love books that teach, as well as entertain. I learned a lot about what it's like to live with an illness. Also, learned a lot about family dynamics, love and acceptance. Thank you!

19 of 19 people found this review helpful

Unrealistic Character Development

Let me start by saying the narration is fantastic. I forgot I was listening to one person in multiple roles.
The story idea is a good one, but the jumps in character development were bizarre, particularly the husband. The mother's character fizzled out at the beginning of the story in a disappointing way. When she re-enters the story, she's no longer a major character, and her relationship with her son, rather than being changed, is non-existent.

32 of 34 people found this review helpful

Love builds bridges.

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

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Not Your Usual Fare -trust me!

What did you love best about The Perfect Son?

The workings of the boy's mind vs what his body was doing at any given time opened my mind greatly. Fascinating.

What other book might you compare The Perfect Son to and why?

The only reference I truly have into this realm is a long-ago little book called "Angel Unaware" by Dale Evans Rogers. Her little girl, Robin, was born with Down Syndrome at a time when these children were usually institutionalized. It offered much more insight into the mind of the adults working with Robin than into the mind of the child herself, as she was only an infant, but it was beautifully written in the first person by her mother. In that it offered new insights to those of us who do not have to deal with these things, the books are similar, but other than that, although sweetly written, Dale Evans Rogers' book has little in common with this much grittier story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I did not have a favorite - they each contributed to the next and flowed into one compelling story.

Any additional comments?

All human beings should read this book to learn compassion on the one hand and to understand that even though an individual may have challenges most of us do not face, he or she is fully a person with thoughts, feelings, likes, and dislikes, and capable of making a very important contribution to our world and to those of us lucky enough to be touched by them.

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

Wonderful family drama

If you could sum up The Perfect Son in three words, what would they be?

Intense, beautiful, enlightening

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harry...he's so positive and brave. He doesn't let his disability keep him from achieving his goals.

Which scene was your favorite?

Impossible to pick one.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh yes, I laughed and cried. Harry and his friends are delightful, funny, and charming.

Any additional comments?

A beautiful story, so well done. An enlightening look at what it's like for a person suffering from Tourette's syndrome and for their family/friends.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

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!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

For any parent of a child with a disorder.

Reading this book brought to light all the hidden emotions from years of doing one's best. We are all broken, but in that brokenness we must believe in a bigger plan.

11 of 14 people found this review helpful

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.

10 of 14 people found this review helpful

What's with the good reviews of this?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A different narrator might have improved this awful book but I am not sure. I couldn't finish it. Listening to the narrator made me want to claw my eyes out. Why does she whine and/or sound like she's crying while narrating? And who suggested she use a fake Southern accent to depict the characters in Durham, NC? I'm from here and if I ever heard someone speak this way I would think they were 1/2 drunk and playing a joke on me.

What was most disappointing about Barbara Claypole White’s story?

Felix (main male character, Dad, and husband) was a huge jerk. Who wants to listen to a story about someone so loathsome?

How could the performance have been better?

Only a different narrator could have saved this. Can I have my credits back?

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

not much happens

What would have made The Perfect Son better?

Perhaps a theme more exciting than watching grass grow.

Would you ever listen to anything by Barbara Claypole White again?

NO.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The most annoying bedroom breathy voice.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narrator did an English accent pretty well.

Any additional comments?

Stay away, it is a waste of 10+ hrs, never mind the $$.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Warm and uplifting

I loved this story about flawed characters who are forced by circumstances to learn to get along, and through doing so, learn about themselves. The characters are likeable and real. Well read.

great read

a wonderful way to understand living with tourettes in the family. well written and narrated. hopefully more books to come from this author.