Raising Cubby

The author's speaking voice sounds somewhat nasal and lacking in spontaneity, but it's sincere and earnest in its own way. It's a reasonable vehicle for this book because it adds immediacy to Cubby's life story and the unfolding drama of his criminal trial for possessing explosives. The narrative is about how a child with two Asperger's parents (including the author) navigates through life with his own such impairments and esoteric interests. A large part of the book's charm is how Robison the father works around his own social cluelessness to become a good parent and tireless advocate for his son. Not surprisingly, the storytelling is rather concrete and lacking in irony, but it's charming nonetheless and reminds us how important empathetic listening and emotional connecting are to social functioning. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine