* Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times * * WINNER of
the National Book Critics Circle Award * Books for a Better Life Award * The New York Times
Book Review ’s 10 Best Books of the Year * This masterpiece by the National Book
Award–winning author of The Noonday Demon features stories of parents who not only learn to
deal with their exceptional children but also find profound meaning in doing so—“a brave
beautiful book that will expand your humanity” ( People ). Solomon’s startling proposition in
Far from the Tree is that being exceptional is at the core of the human condition—that
difference is what unites us. He writes about families coping with deafness dwarfism Down
syndrome autism schizophrenia or multiple severe disabilities with children who are
prodigies who are conceived in rape who become criminals who are transgender. While each of
these characteristics is potentially isolating the experience of difference within families is
universal and Solomon documents triumphs of love over prejudice in every chapter. All
parenting turns on a crucial question: to what extent should parents accept their children for
who they are and to what extent they should help them become their best selves. Drawing on ten
years of research and interviews with more than three hundred families Solomon mines the
eloquence of ordinary people facing extreme challenges. Elegantly reported by a spectacularly
original and compassionate thinker Far from the Tree explores how people who love each other
must struggle to accept each other—a theme in every family’s life.
