Cassandra Dunn

Art of Adapting, Cassandra Dunn

This is a year in the life of a divorced woman her children a son and a daughter and her brother who has autism. There is nothing over the top dramatic that happens. I am recommending the book on the strength of the writer’s story telling ability. The title “The Art of Adapting “ comes from the characters need to adapt to their new living situations. Lana the mother begins to cope with her change in status from protected spouse to single mother and her brother’s caretaker and her children’s chief advocate. Matt Lana’s brother has asperger’s syndrome and a drug problem. Matt has a particular obsession with details. Over the course of the year changes from being a liability in the family to an asset . The point of the tale seems to be that life and change seldom occurs in the big dramatic moments of life. Change comes from minor corrections or adaptations to lives circumstances. The story does tackle big issues such as eating disorders, father son conflicts, asperger’s syndrome, drug abuse, and restarting a life after a divorce. Adventure in the story comes from watching how the writer sees her characters dealing with and adapting to the various circumstances.… (més)

Cassandra Dunn’s The Art of Adapting is one of those books that has one expecting a happy ending from the beginning. A middle-aged woman recently abandoned by her husband, her brother with Asperger’s syndrome, her son looking for a social niche, and her daughter with an eating disorder—yes, I suppose a writer could make a tragedy out of those elements, but that would be cruel. With characters who come so close ourselves (and these characters do) we need hope, need a sense of how an individual makes the best of her own imperfections and learns to use them to her advantage.

In The Art of Adapting this process of turning imperfections into advantages plays out not just for the characters individually, but also for the four of them as a family. Their collective imperfections ultimately make for a (surprisingly) functional group.

I don’t really want to say more about this book because with its straightforward plot line, I could too easily give all the best moments away. Suffice it to say, this is a book that will leave the reader feeling good about herself and the characters. The real-life reader may not have the elements of her life fall together as neatly as the characters’. But the characters’ happiness comes across as genuine and within the reach of the reader.

For readers who need an infusion of hope and for those who simply want to spend a few evenings with people trying their best and making progress, this book will be a genuine pleasure.… (més)