Clara Claiborne Park wrote memoir and family narrative about raising her autistic daughter Jessy at a time when autism was poorly understood and often blamed on parents. The Siege describes Jessy's early childhood, communication difficulties and the family's attempts to reach her through play, routine and close observation. Exiting Nirvana returns decades later, following Jessy's adult life, art and continuing differences while reflecting on how both the family and public understanding of autism had changed. Park's prose is careful, self-questioning and grounded in daily family experience rather than clinical authority. Her books fit autism memoir, disability history and parenting narratives, particularly for readers interested in how attitudes towards autistic children shifted across the second half of the twentieth century. Read more Less
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