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Riddle Child
Alexander is an autistic child. His mother Ingrid is worn out from trying to care for and love a son who never once has acknowledged her existence except to bite and kick and scream in terror. Their housekeeper is the only one who manages somehow to soothe and pacify him, and whose steadfast loyalty becomes Ingrid's only source of comfort. But then everything changed. The child who is terrified of water, and in particular of taking a bath, is found floating face down in an overflowing tub early one morning, drowned, with bruises on his neck and the marks of abuse clearly visible on his frail body. Is it murder or accidental death? What will the autopsy reveal? Can the intricate workings of Alexander's locked up mind ever be uncovered or understood?
311 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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360 people want to read
About the author
Annelie Botes
23 books45 followersAnnelie Botes was a South African writer in the Afrikaans language.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 7, 2010
Riddle Child
Annelie Botes
This books started life as Raaiselkind and I am very glad they translated it into English. It is set in South Africa and some of the circumstances within the book are the result of small town South African life, but it was such a relief to read a book written in and about South Africa that was not about politics or AIDS.
The book is about Ingrid and her autistic son Alexander. A much wanted third child and first son Alexander is born to small town dwellers Ingrid and Dawid when their daughters are almost teenagers. The joy with which Alexander is greeted in his new family soon turns to confusion, frustrations and finally anger. With no support from an every increasingly frequently drunk Dawid, a friendship circle which diminishes to nothing in the face of a constantly screaming and, when old enough, destructive child, a sense of betrayal by her church and almost no money Ingrid searches for nearly four years for a diagnosis for her son.
The book starts with Ingrid in a police cell where she has been taken after she discovers Alexander dead in the bath. She is accused of the murder of her child, and the narrative swaps between her interrogation and her memories of the previous 9 years.
The only real support Ingrid has is her domestic worker and the only person Alexander relates to, Miriam. Interwoven into Ingrid and Alexander’s stories is some of Miriam story.
It was impossible not to feel real sympathy for Ingrid as her last nine years unfolded. Her family crumbles, she loses Dawid and to some extent her daughters, and is completely isolated with just Miriam and the separate Alexander. She is struggling to hold onto her job and it moving close to real poverty. So it becomes understand in the reader if she did kill Alexander. She loves him but he does not even acknowledge her existence except to growl at her or occasionally bite her. It must be soul destroying to love your child with absolutely no returns. The only word Alexander says is Mimmi, his version of Miriam. The only person he listens to his Gunter, a man Ingrid is friends with. Ingrid is irrelevant to Alexander despite his great expense to her, emotionally, socially and financially.
Alexander is severely autistic and with no structured education is the worst possible version of himself possible. Loving him must be very difficult.
But Ingrid insists she did not kill Alexander.
And even after finishing the book and thinking about for a whole weekend – I am not sure.
A well written and well constructed novel with believable characters. I did wonder a bit at the police treatment of Ingrid, but perhaps it was less outrageous than I think.
I was absorbed in Ingrid’s life and she, Miriam and Alexander linger on.
Good to have found another a South African author who writes so well.
Annelie Botes
This books started life as Raaiselkind and I am very glad they translated it into English. It is set in South Africa and some of the circumstances within the book are the result of small town South African life, but it was such a relief to read a book written in and about South Africa that was not about politics or AIDS.
The book is about Ingrid and her autistic son Alexander. A much wanted third child and first son Alexander is born to small town dwellers Ingrid and Dawid when their daughters are almost teenagers. The joy with which Alexander is greeted in his new family soon turns to confusion, frustrations and finally anger. With no support from an every increasingly frequently drunk Dawid, a friendship circle which diminishes to nothing in the face of a constantly screaming and, when old enough, destructive child, a sense of betrayal by her church and almost no money Ingrid searches for nearly four years for a diagnosis for her son.
The book starts with Ingrid in a police cell where she has been taken after she discovers Alexander dead in the bath. She is accused of the murder of her child, and the narrative swaps between her interrogation and her memories of the previous 9 years.
The only real support Ingrid has is her domestic worker and the only person Alexander relates to, Miriam. Interwoven into Ingrid and Alexander’s stories is some of Miriam story.
It was impossible not to feel real sympathy for Ingrid as her last nine years unfolded. Her family crumbles, she loses Dawid and to some extent her daughters, and is completely isolated with just Miriam and the separate Alexander. She is struggling to hold onto her job and it moving close to real poverty. So it becomes understand in the reader if she did kill Alexander. She loves him but he does not even acknowledge her existence except to growl at her or occasionally bite her. It must be soul destroying to love your child with absolutely no returns. The only word Alexander says is Mimmi, his version of Miriam. The only person he listens to his Gunter, a man Ingrid is friends with. Ingrid is irrelevant to Alexander despite his great expense to her, emotionally, socially and financially.
Alexander is severely autistic and with no structured education is the worst possible version of himself possible. Loving him must be very difficult.
But Ingrid insists she did not kill Alexander.
And even after finishing the book and thinking about for a whole weekend – I am not sure.
A well written and well constructed novel with believable characters. I did wonder a bit at the police treatment of Ingrid, but perhaps it was less outrageous than I think.
I was absorbed in Ingrid’s life and she, Miriam and Alexander linger on.
Good to have found another a South African author who writes so well.
November 10, 2022
I tormented myself to get through this book, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is deeply depressing without offering the tiniest gleam of hope for any of the main characters; but there are many good boooks that are equally bleak, so that's not even my biggest problem with this novel.
What I expected before starting, and, perhaps, while reading the first 100 pages of the book, was a clever mix between a mystery , a family drama (how are Ingrid and her family coping with the difficulties of raising Alexander?) and valuable insights into the life and development of an autistic child who so severly refuses to take part in what people call "normal life".
But the mystery, to my mind, falls short; and the promising "family drama" is not a complex story on how people cope when a child does not meet anyones expectations of happiness and love, but only the dragging, slow, repetetive, and highly implausible excruciating martyrdom of a mother raising a boy who needs care 24/7, and who has a job, and who literally never, ever sleeps . She is misunderstood by her entire community, . And that's only the social side of her problems. Financially, we are told how she loses everything, over and over again, so that you start wondering - after she has lost everything for the umpteenth time - how she still manages to have her own house, a maid, food, and medication after all these years of losing everything.
Thus, what remains is the oh-so realistic depiction of autism many reviewers have commented upon. Now, I don't know much about autism. I know that there are many very different kinds of autism; but Alexander's, to me, seems to be the impossible kind. He literally doesn't do anything but screaming at the top of his lungs to the point it just doesn't seem plausible how he is even alive. Like I said, I don't know much about autism, but I know you cannot be awake 24 hours, 7 days a week, your entire life, while the only nutricion you ever take is a spoonful of coffee. Sometimes.
But, ok, I get it. We are asked to endure this highly frustrating process, dragging on and on through most of the book, endless sequences of Alexander's impossible, horrible behaviour, how he breaks things, screams at people, runs away, chisels away at the houses's walls every night, never eats, never sleeps, because we are supposed to find this impossible. We are gradually made to doubt Alexander's mother's love for this impossible-to-love-child.
But here's the thing. All the stuff that is supposed to show how much she loves him, how much she sacrifices for him, is, to my mind, not only completely, utterly, unbelievably stupid. But it's also child neglect.
So her three days in the specialized clinic with him when he is a small child are hell on earth: The impersonal, cold, big-city clinic, where everyone's just a number. Her heroic solution: never bring him to a specialist ever again. She's like those ridiculous people who don't vaccinate their children because there's "chemicals" in it.
Another example: Alexander is not communicating with other children. His mother's heroic solution: instead of getting him professional help (as suggested by the medical report), training, or schooling, or anything (because that would be evil and un-loving, of course), she drags him to Kindergarden for a few days where he, you guessed it, screams at the top of his lungs.
Oh, and of course she would never be as barbarous as to force-feed him! If all he ever eats is a spoonful of coffee now and then, who are we to decide that a kid maybe needs some more nutricion, right? At nine years old, we are told Alexander has the body of a four-year-old. He has bruises, cuts and severe wounds all over his body, because he constantly bangs his head against the wall. Oh, and let's not forget the bruises he regularly gets around his neck because his loving mother has to hold him down with all her might when he gets his haircut at the barber. Because of course you don't force-feed your starving child, but you regularly force a professional haircut on him. In the city where everyone avoids you because your child is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs. At a barber shop, even though you have no money whatsoever. Sure, he can't talk or anything, and he's scared to death in the process, but at least he has a fashionable haircut, right?
Sorry for the rant, but...this is just dumb. I hated this story, and how it disguises a dangerous contempt for specialized academic medicine behind an account of how motherly love supposedly conquers all, if only it is self-sacrificing enough. Or did I miss the point?!
What I expected before starting, and, perhaps, while reading the first 100 pages of the book, was a clever mix between a mystery , a family drama (how are Ingrid and her family coping with the difficulties of raising Alexander?) and valuable insights into the life and development of an autistic child who so severly refuses to take part in what people call "normal life".
But the mystery, to my mind, falls short; and the promising "family drama" is not a complex story on how people cope when a child does not meet anyones expectations of happiness and love, but only the dragging, slow, repetetive, and highly implausible excruciating martyrdom of a mother raising a boy who needs care 24/7, and who has a job, and who literally never, ever sleeps . She is misunderstood by her entire community, . And that's only the social side of her problems. Financially, we are told how she loses everything, over and over again, so that you start wondering - after she has lost everything for the umpteenth time - how she still manages to have her own house, a maid, food, and medication after all these years of losing everything.
Thus, what remains is the oh-so realistic depiction of autism many reviewers have commented upon. Now, I don't know much about autism. I know that there are many very different kinds of autism; but Alexander's, to me, seems to be the impossible kind. He literally doesn't do anything but screaming at the top of his lungs to the point it just doesn't seem plausible how he is even alive. Like I said, I don't know much about autism, but I know you cannot be awake 24 hours, 7 days a week, your entire life, while the only nutricion you ever take is a spoonful of coffee. Sometimes.
But, ok, I get it. We are asked to endure this highly frustrating process, dragging on and on through most of the book, endless sequences of Alexander's impossible, horrible behaviour, how he breaks things, screams at people, runs away, chisels away at the houses's walls every night, never eats, never sleeps, because we are supposed to find this impossible. We are gradually made to doubt Alexander's mother's love for this impossible-to-love-child.
But here's the thing. All the stuff that is supposed to show how much she loves him, how much she sacrifices for him, is, to my mind, not only completely, utterly, unbelievably stupid. But it's also child neglect.
So her three days in the specialized clinic with him when he is a small child are hell on earth: The impersonal, cold, big-city clinic, where everyone's just a number. Her heroic solution: never bring him to a specialist ever again. She's like those ridiculous people who don't vaccinate their children because there's "chemicals" in it.
Another example: Alexander is not communicating with other children. His mother's heroic solution: instead of getting him professional help (as suggested by the medical report), training, or schooling, or anything (because that would be evil and un-loving, of course), she drags him to Kindergarden for a few days where he, you guessed it, screams at the top of his lungs.
Oh, and of course she would never be as barbarous as to force-feed him! If all he ever eats is a spoonful of coffee now and then, who are we to decide that a kid maybe needs some more nutricion, right? At nine years old, we are told Alexander has the body of a four-year-old. He has bruises, cuts and severe wounds all over his body, because he constantly bangs his head against the wall. Oh, and let's not forget the bruises he regularly gets around his neck because his loving mother has to hold him down with all her might when he gets his haircut at the barber. Because of course you don't force-feed your starving child, but you regularly force a professional haircut on him. In the city where everyone avoids you because your child is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs. At a barber shop, even though you have no money whatsoever. Sure, he can't talk or anything, and he's scared to death in the process, but at least he has a fashionable haircut, right?
Sorry for the rant, but...this is just dumb. I hated this story, and how it disguises a dangerous contempt for specialized academic medicine behind an account of how motherly love supposedly conquers all, if only it is self-sacrificing enough. Or did I miss the point?!
February 26, 2018
Raaiselkind: Annelie Botes
Raaiselkind gee die leser ‘n blik op die eensame wêreld wanneer jou kind as outisties gediagnoseer word. Dit is ook ‘n diagnose wat nie net die kind affekteer nie, maar alle verhoudings: Die tussen eggenotes, tussen ouers en kinders, tussen broers en susters maar ook tussen ouers en vriende.
Die boek is in baie keurige Afrikaans geskryf soos die volgende aanhalings bevestig:
‘Teresa was toe sestien. Zettie veertien. Alexander vyf. En sy was oeroud’’. P229
‘In die jare na Dawid se dood het sy geleer dat eenkant bly die minste seer bring. Soos die tyd verbygaan en die oë wat jou aankyk harder en kouer word, glip jy weg in ‘n alleenwêreld. Tot jy snags met ‘n beklemming in jou bors na die plafon lê en kyk terwyl die dowwe kapritme van die beiteltjie hoor en jy wonder of jy ook outisties geword het.’ P169.
‘Alleenkind op ‘n alleeneiland’ p88
‘Raaiselkind wat roep en roep maar niemand begryp sy taal nie.’ P 47
Die lees van die boek bevestig net weer dat niemand iemand anders kan oordeel sonder dat ‘n myl in hulle skoene gestap is nie.
‘
Raaiselkind gee die leser ‘n blik op die eensame wêreld wanneer jou kind as outisties gediagnoseer word. Dit is ook ‘n diagnose wat nie net die kind affekteer nie, maar alle verhoudings: Die tussen eggenotes, tussen ouers en kinders, tussen broers en susters maar ook tussen ouers en vriende.
Die boek is in baie keurige Afrikaans geskryf soos die volgende aanhalings bevestig:
‘Teresa was toe sestien. Zettie veertien. Alexander vyf. En sy was oeroud’’. P229
‘In die jare na Dawid se dood het sy geleer dat eenkant bly die minste seer bring. Soos die tyd verbygaan en die oë wat jou aankyk harder en kouer word, glip jy weg in ‘n alleenwêreld. Tot jy snags met ‘n beklemming in jou bors na die plafon lê en kyk terwyl die dowwe kapritme van die beiteltjie hoor en jy wonder of jy ook outisties geword het.’ P169.
‘Alleenkind op ‘n alleeneiland’ p88
‘Raaiselkind wat roep en roep maar niemand begryp sy taal nie.’ P 47
Die lees van die boek bevestig net weer dat niemand iemand anders kan oordeel sonder dat ‘n myl in hulle skoene gestap is nie.
‘
January 3, 2021
Een geweldig boek een aanrader voor iedereen een autistisch zoontje verdrinkt in bad en wat volgt is dit boek met het verhaal van zijn en het gezin hun 9 jaar samen en dit alles gedurende het proces van het onderzoek naar moord. Het is zo meeslepend dat het moeilijk is deze weg te leggen.
February 10, 2025
Sjoe! Ek kan my nie die gesin se stryd indink nie.
January 11, 2019
Lanklaas, indien ooit, het die slotreël van 'n boek my laat wakker lê, en dink en wonder...
Annelie Botes skroom mos hoeka nie om moeilike temas aan te durf nie. Die daaglikse stryd om oorlewing, (want ek glo dit kan só erg word) met 'n erg outistiese kind, het my ontsenu aan die een hand, maar dan ook opnuut 'n groot dankbaarheid ontketen dat my eie kinders se huil toendertyd niks meer as koliek was nie!
Ek sal die boek nie aanbeveel vir lesers wat besonder sensitief is vir swaarkry nie, want daarvan is daar oorgenoeg vasgevang. Miriam was dié karakter wat my telkens paragrawe laat herlees het, en die gemoed so effens gelig het met haar unieke taalgebruik en fyn waarneming.
Skitterende, moeilike stuk leeswerk!
Annelie Botes skroom mos hoeka nie om moeilike temas aan te durf nie. Die daaglikse stryd om oorlewing, (want ek glo dit kan só erg word) met 'n erg outistiese kind, het my ontsenu aan die een hand, maar dan ook opnuut 'n groot dankbaarheid ontketen dat my eie kinders se huil toendertyd niks meer as koliek was nie!
Ek sal die boek nie aanbeveel vir lesers wat besonder sensitief is vir swaarkry nie, want daarvan is daar oorgenoeg vasgevang. Miriam was dié karakter wat my telkens paragrawe laat herlees het, en die gemoed so effens gelig het met haar unieke taalgebruik en fyn waarneming.
Skitterende, moeilike stuk leeswerk!
November 10, 2022
I read this book after watching the movie on Netflix. Absolutely great book. The movie is excellent, but the book gives more insight into the characters. Not an easy book to read, the pain is palpable and grips like a vise. The timelines alternating between past and present lend the book a unique tenor. Highly recommended if you like your tragedies closer to life.
December 5, 2018
One of the saddest books I have ever read:( Can not stop thinking about how hard her life had to be raising the boy. I take my hat off to anyone in the same situation.
February 20, 2019
So eerlik geskryf, mens voel die pyn en vrees.
June 27, 2019
Een van die beste, treffendste boeke wat ek nog ooit gelees het...my laat wakkerlê....
April 9, 2023
As a mom with a child on the Autism Spectrum (and a Psych major) I felt how relatable the book is, the daily struggle with an Autistic child. My son has Language Developmental Delay (LDD) and was three years behind in school as he did not understand the concepts being taught in pre-primary. He finally caught up :) after a lot of intervention through Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, daily home activities, swimming (to develop his shoulders' muscle tone that was underdeveloped). Like the book says, the only real treatment for Autism is a structured education programme.
Alexander has Classic Autism, non-verbal. They completely live in a world of their own, personal hygiene and nutrition is not important to them at all, they will starve themselves or only eat one or two things, they are very picky and will throw food on the floor they don't like. You are thankful that they at least get food in them, in Alexander's case only cheese spread. They fixate on the tiniest thing and become obsessive, kids with non-verbal Classic Autism cannot communicate but are very intelligent, they feel trapped in a body that cannot do what they want it to do which adds to their frustration.
Some readers might have felt that the book was repetitive but that is literally how it is, each and every day, over and over again. My heart bleeds for Ingrid, I know the struggle and the judgement you get from people, "he doesn't look autistic". It's a very lonely world for both mom and child because you are the only one that advocates for your child and will go to the ends of the Earth to help them or make daily life a little easier.
I think the whole point of the book was that Ingrid gave Alexander the chance to be free, to be himself and not be forced into a formal schooling system which really is a struggle in itself with an Autustic child. That being said, the Netflix movie was a lot more of an accurate depiction of Autism. I liked the movie's ending better.
I sobbed for hours and felt like it was my son's story being told, going from specialist to specialist without answer or diagnosis. In our case my son was constantly in and out of hospital for the first 2, 3 years of his life. He was constantly sick and all he did was sleep. The Paediatric Gastroenterologist said my child is a puzzle child (legkaart kind), bit by bit we'll figure him out and put the pieces together. The title, Raaiselkind is what drew me to the book.
We only got an official diagnosis when my son was 6 years old but I knew something was different from the age of 3 when they are supposed to come into their own, there was so much of the "normal" expected milestones, speech delays, social cues that were non-existent. Ingrid knew something wasn't right but did not quite know what it was or what it was called.
There were signs early on that I wondered about Autism (knowing what the symptoms could be from my studies), when he was 5 weeks old he screamed blue murder at the sound of lightnin, I could not console him. We could not switch on a hairdryer, vacuum cleaner or cut his hair, it was a complete meltdown and sensory overload. He would cover his ears and run away. For kids with sensory integration (SI) problems certain sensations completely overwhelm them, cutting hair could feel like thousands of bugs crawling under their skin. They do not feel pain the way we do, my son used to hit his head on the floor while he was teething, anything to redirect the pain.
Thank you Annelie Botes for telling someone ekse's story to make it feel like my own.
Alexander has Classic Autism, non-verbal. They completely live in a world of their own, personal hygiene and nutrition is not important to them at all, they will starve themselves or only eat one or two things, they are very picky and will throw food on the floor they don't like. You are thankful that they at least get food in them, in Alexander's case only cheese spread. They fixate on the tiniest thing and become obsessive, kids with non-verbal Classic Autism cannot communicate but are very intelligent, they feel trapped in a body that cannot do what they want it to do which adds to their frustration.
Some readers might have felt that the book was repetitive but that is literally how it is, each and every day, over and over again. My heart bleeds for Ingrid, I know the struggle and the judgement you get from people, "he doesn't look autistic". It's a very lonely world for both mom and child because you are the only one that advocates for your child and will go to the ends of the Earth to help them or make daily life a little easier.
I think the whole point of the book was that Ingrid gave Alexander the chance to be free, to be himself and not be forced into a formal schooling system which really is a struggle in itself with an Autustic child. That being said, the Netflix movie was a lot more of an accurate depiction of Autism. I liked the movie's ending better.
I sobbed for hours and felt like it was my son's story being told, going from specialist to specialist without answer or diagnosis. In our case my son was constantly in and out of hospital for the first 2, 3 years of his life. He was constantly sick and all he did was sleep. The Paediatric Gastroenterologist said my child is a puzzle child (legkaart kind), bit by bit we'll figure him out and put the pieces together. The title, Raaiselkind is what drew me to the book.
We only got an official diagnosis when my son was 6 years old but I knew something was different from the age of 3 when they are supposed to come into their own, there was so much of the "normal" expected milestones, speech delays, social cues that were non-existent. Ingrid knew something wasn't right but did not quite know what it was or what it was called.
There were signs early on that I wondered about Autism (knowing what the symptoms could be from my studies), when he was 5 weeks old he screamed blue murder at the sound of lightnin, I could not console him. We could not switch on a hairdryer, vacuum cleaner or cut his hair, it was a complete meltdown and sensory overload. He would cover his ears and run away. For kids with sensory integration (SI) problems certain sensations completely overwhelm them, cutting hair could feel like thousands of bugs crawling under their skin. They do not feel pain the way we do, my son used to hit his head on the floor while he was teething, anything to redirect the pain.
Thank you Annelie Botes for telling someone ekse's story to make it feel like my own.
June 21, 2018
Well written and is never conclusive of what quite happened, but a good read and at times difficult. Knowing what mother's need to go through. Even when they love their children so so much, being a mother of a disabled child is often so lonely.
June 12, 2007
Just incredible. This was an incredibly moving story that got a lot of emotions boiling inside of me. This book was just so real, and I know I use this term a lot, but I think it's an important term to use when discussing books, because that's often what makes or breaks a book for many of us. I have a feeling that Annelie Botes has either experienced autism first hand through a friend or family member, or she has really done her research.
This book really moved me. At first I thought it was going to be kind of an investigation book where people assume the mom did it, but through clever detective work and looking at the past we're going to learn that the kid was murdered by somebody else... Instead it's an introspective look at the past nine difficult years in this woman's life. You are amazed by her strength and determination to carry on in the face of all that is going against her. You love the support she gets in Miriam, who's story we also see a lot of.
The book mainly focuses on the two constant figures throughout Alexander's life. His mother, Ingrid, and the housekeeper/helper/shoulder-to-lean-on/wonder-woman, Miriam. Both these woman care for Alexander and love him no matter what. But both women see different sides of Alexander.
It's a relief when brighter moments occur, because I constantly found myself grinding my teeth in anger either at the police interrogators, or the townspeople, and especially the compeletly corrupted church. The church is what pissed me off the most in this book, just read it and I'm sure you'll be grinding your teeth down too. Also, Dawid, Ingrid's husband gets on your nerves too, but it's a lot more understandable why he's sort of an asshole. With the church... I just don't get it. Gah! Can't even think about it!
What else was I going to say? I don't know if it was my edition of the book, or if it's like this in all English editions of the book, but the language is not American English, and I'm not even sure if it's British English. It's clearly a specific English spoken in South Africa. The book was translated from Afrikaans, and actually the first of Ms. Botes books to be printed in English.
That was another thing that was strange and also compelling, was where the book took place. Supposedly the time was the year 2000, but it constantly felt like the 1960s or something with the way autism was being dealt with and the way blacks were being treated. The difference between whites and blacks is obviously very clear, and not just in the way they are treated. There's a line that's thought by Miriam where she says she would rather be in Brown Heaven than in White Heaven. She reflects on how their cultures are different. Comparing the white people's treatment of Alexander to the brown people's treatment of another mentally disabled boy named Tompy. The whites bascially shunned Alexander and his family, offering no help or understanding. While the browns loved and accepted Tompy. When his mother went to work, Tompy was always looked after by neighbors, fed and kept safe.
There's much more I want to say about this book. Be careful though, because it will really make you think. I just finished it, and that's why I'm reviewing right away, because I'm still thinking about it and I don't want to forget.
This book really moved me. At first I thought it was going to be kind of an investigation book where people assume the mom did it, but through clever detective work and looking at the past we're going to learn that the kid was murdered by somebody else... Instead it's an introspective look at the past nine difficult years in this woman's life. You are amazed by her strength and determination to carry on in the face of all that is going against her. You love the support she gets in Miriam, who's story we also see a lot of.
The book mainly focuses on the two constant figures throughout Alexander's life. His mother, Ingrid, and the housekeeper/helper/shoulder-to-lean-on/wonder-woman, Miriam. Both these woman care for Alexander and love him no matter what. But both women see different sides of Alexander.
It's a relief when brighter moments occur, because I constantly found myself grinding my teeth in anger either at the police interrogators, or the townspeople, and especially the compeletly corrupted church. The church is what pissed me off the most in this book, just read it and I'm sure you'll be grinding your teeth down too. Also, Dawid, Ingrid's husband gets on your nerves too, but it's a lot more understandable why he's sort of an asshole. With the church... I just don't get it. Gah! Can't even think about it!
What else was I going to say? I don't know if it was my edition of the book, or if it's like this in all English editions of the book, but the language is not American English, and I'm not even sure if it's British English. It's clearly a specific English spoken in South Africa. The book was translated from Afrikaans, and actually the first of Ms. Botes books to be printed in English.
That was another thing that was strange and also compelling, was where the book took place. Supposedly the time was the year 2000, but it constantly felt like the 1960s or something with the way autism was being dealt with and the way blacks were being treated. The difference between whites and blacks is obviously very clear, and not just in the way they are treated. There's a line that's thought by Miriam where she says she would rather be in Brown Heaven than in White Heaven. She reflects on how their cultures are different. Comparing the white people's treatment of Alexander to the brown people's treatment of another mentally disabled boy named Tompy. The whites bascially shunned Alexander and his family, offering no help or understanding. While the browns loved and accepted Tompy. When his mother went to work, Tompy was always looked after by neighbors, fed and kept safe.
There's much more I want to say about this book. Be careful though, because it will really make you think. I just finished it, and that's why I'm reviewing right away, because I'm still thinking about it and I don't want to forget.
May 7, 2011
[Dutch]
Autisme, volgens de Winkler Prins een ziekelijke in-zich-zelf-gekeerdheid, gepaard aan een duidelijk verminderde belangstelling voor de werkelijkheid en een gestoorde (sociale) activiteit. Volgens mij, na het lezen van Raadselkind van Annelie Botes, een levende nachtmerrie voor de familie.
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
Autisme, volgens de Winkler Prins een ziekelijke in-zich-zelf-gekeerdheid, gepaard aan een duidelijk verminderde belangstelling voor de werkelijkheid en een gestoorde (sociale) activiteit. Volgens mij, na het lezen van Raadselkind van Annelie Botes, een levende nachtmerrie voor de familie.
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
October 28, 2012
What a terribly written novel.
But the content and subject choice made up for it.
A really important book in understanding the life of a child with autism and the many, many effects this situation has on the family.
Every person should read this book.
But the content and subject choice made up for it.
A really important book in understanding the life of a child with autism and the many, many effects this situation has on the family.
Every person should read this book.
November 3, 2009
Little depressing, but shows what may happen with an outistic child
April 28, 2010
Contemp fiction....South Africa, 2000....Autistic boy drowns - mother is accused of murder - through interrogation we learn how autism destroyed the family.
November 21, 2010
A captivating read about a mother accused of murdering her autistic child.
December 30, 2014
this book gave such an amazing insight into the life of families who are touched with autism, I felt the simultaneous love she had for her son as well as the hatred she felt towards his autism
April 28, 2016
A highly entertaining read. Appears to be thoroughly researched and yet it is easy to read.
November 19, 2016
Briljant!
April 28, 2017
Een zwaar onderwerp maar heel origineel benaderd.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews