Dancing With Max by Emily Colson gives a glimpse into the life and heart of a single mother raising her autistic son, taking the reader on a journey of both extreme pain and joy.

The writing style was clear and engaging, and the stories she told kept my interest. I thought the cover design, featuring Max’s signature, was appropriately unique.

I was impressed with many of the creative solutions Colson tried, such as going to church after the service ended for a time of service and community when sitting through services was no longer an option or using pictures to aid conversations.

While this book discussed autism, it struck me that it was primarily about people. It was about the people who have touched their lives and the people whose lives they have touched. It was about strangers showing unexpected kindness, experts making bad suggestions, and steady friends encouraging Colson in difficult times. It was about Peppermint Patti loving them even as she fought a fatal battle with cancer. It told of the relationship between father and daughter. Mostly, it was about a mother in love with her son.

While "enjoy" doesn’t seem quite the right word, I am glad to have read it. At times it was heart-wrenching, but overall I would call it heart-warming. Dancing with Max is one of my top ten books for 2010 (but you’ll have to wait a bit for the official list to see the other nine).

For a different perspective, you might want to read John Knight’s Review.

You can might also find Emily Colson’s website to be of interest.