Language Arts
Charles Marlow teaches his high school English students that language will expand their worlds. But linguistic precision cannot help him connect with his autistic son, his ex-wife, or his college-bound daughter, who has just flown the nest. He's at the end of a road he's traveled on autopilot for years when a series of events forces him to think back on the lifetime of decisions and indecisions that have brought him to this point.
With the help of an ambitious art student, an Italian-speaking nun, and the memory of a boy in a white suit who inscribed his childhood with both solace and sorrow, Charles may finally be able to rewrite the script of his life.
From the national-bestselling author of Broken for You, Language Arts is an affecting tale of love, loss, and language--its powers and its perils.
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Washington Book Award Finalist
"Kallos's earlier novels, Broken for You (2004) and Sing Them Home (2009), have been widely praised, and her third deserves all of those kudos and more. This novel, masterfully plotted and written, is a wondrously beautiful story of love and loss, offering hope in the face of the harshest reality." -- Booklist, starred review
"Touchingly humane and impressive in scope . . . A voluminous novel exploring words and expression, parenting and letting go." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Charles Marlow and his ex-wife face a difficult question about their autistic son's future in the latest novel by best-selling Seattle author Stephanie Kallos. She peels away layer after layer of a father's heart, revealing a life riddled with vivid memories, surprising complications, and full of love."--Oregon Live
"For me, it would be plenty if a novel was deeply felt, utterly absorbing, and full of wit. But in Language Arts, Stephanie Kallos goes further, throwing in a doozy of a twist that had me going back to page one to understand how she pulled off such dazzling sleight of hand. An all-around delight." -- Maria Semple, best-selling author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
"Language Arts was like yoga for my heart--my sentiments were stretched and strengthened, my imagination challenged and contorted, and when I finished, I felt grateful for this beautifully honest, lyrical journey. I loved this book." -- Jamie Ford, best-selling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
