The Horse Boy: A Memoir of Healing
Rowan Issacson was two years old when he was diagnosed with autism. His father, Rupert, a lifelong horseman, was devastated. Would he ever be able to communicate with his son, much less share the wonder of horses with him?\ Then something extraordinary happened. Rowan encountered Betsy, a neighbor's testy mare, and a new, profound calm fell over him. Rupert saw that his distant, unreachable son had a real connection with the horse. When he took Rowan riding on Betsy, the boy began to improve...
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When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child.But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected? THE HORSE BOY is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia, the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story—of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time. Good Housekeeping "A colorful real-life adventure with inspiring results."
Prologue 3Part 11 The Seven-Year Child 72 Into the Inferno 163 The Horse Boy 354 A Time for Dreams 50Part 25 The Adventure Begins 676 Lords of the Mountains, Lords of the Rivers 827 Mongolian Brother 978 West with the Rain 1139 Fits and Starts 13110 A Father's Mistake 15011 Rowan I, Fear o 16012 The Van Boy 17513 Repairing the Wind Horse 19314 The Heaven Horse Lake 20715 Guinea Pigs of Moron 221Part 316 Into Siberia 23517 The White Ibex 25118 Farther Up and Farther In 26219 The Ghoste at the Top of the Mountain 27620 A Hawk in the House 28521 Interview with a Shaman 30122 Miracle at the River 31623 Four Minutes and Fifty-two Seconds 329Epilogue 343Acknowledgments 352Reading Group Guide 358
\ BookpageIsaacson's astonishing memoirreveals how, inspired by these rare moments in the saddle, he began a quest through Mongolia to heal his five-year-old son.... Isaacson's journey to heal his son is just that, a healing, not a cure. But he wouldn't want it any other way. While the author's purpose was to draw Rowan out of his autism, he came to realize the overlooked gifts it entails. The Horse Boy will leave readers with a new appreciation for autism and the healing techniques of other cultures; like Rowan, they, too, will be changed forever.\ \ \ \ \ Temple GrandinEveryone who is fascinated by the human-animal bond should read this totally engrossing book.\ — author of Animals in Translation\ \ \ Luis Alberto UrreaRupert Isaacson has conjured a non-fiction journey that reads like an epic novel.It is a book of endless amazements. The world of Mongolian shamans, the details of adventuresome travel, the mysterious world of autism—all are all amazing.Soon, you realize that the world of horses is mysterious, too—and, yes, amazing.By the time you are in the grip of this book, you'll see love, marriage, and parenthood as a realm of magic, profound power, and further amazements.The Horse Boy can change the way you see your life, and it's a terrifically good read at the same time.It feels like a classic.\ — author of The Hummingbird's Daughter and The Devil's Highway\ \ \ \ \ Good HousekeepingA colorful real-life adventure with inspiring results.\ \ \ \ \ The Cleveland Plain DealerIsaacson charts his son's progress and regressions with an endearing tenderness.... Readers also follow the rare moments when Rowan expresses affection for his father, who is honest and humble throughout. And the author's chatty and self-deprecating storytelling adds a welcome buoyancy to a weighty experience. Meanwhile, Mongolia makes a fetching backdrop for this father/son love story.... Rooting for Rowan through all this... makes The Horse Boy an unexpected page turner.\ \
