Miracle Grow of the Mind

Miracle Grow of the Mind is a funny, heartbreaking exploration of parenthood, disability, medical bureaucracy, Big Agro, food allergies, and environmental pathogens. When Amy and Michael's son is born prematurely, they are thrust into a world of pediatric neurologists, sensory reintegration therapy, and endless evaluations. Michael also struggles with a mother suffering from dementia, who insists he is the grown-up version of a brother who died in infancy. When the Kafkaesque Bureau of Preschool Special Education threatens to make their son repeat kindergarten, the family must confront how they are living and decide which therapies-- everything from Mel Finkelstein's sensory reintegration sessions to pediatric neurologist visits-- are worth the emotional toll. With the help of Griffin's babysitter Estella-- caught in a secret affair with Josef, a Hungarian psychiatris navigating his own child's special needs-- they arrive at an unexpected, poignant resolution. Smart, wry, and deeply human, this novel examines the ways love, absurdity, and hope intersect in the messy work of raising a child.