Upward Bound

Clients and staff at a Southern California daycare center for disabled adults narrate the linked stories of Woody Brown's novel, named for the center. Among them are Carlos, an aide whose mother died when he was a boy; Jorge, a gentle nonspeaking man prone to escaping; Tom, who has cerebral palsy and longs for Ann, the lifeguard that summer; and Dave, the director, who came to Los Angeles to act. At its center is Walter, a nonspeaking autistic man who returns after a family tragedy and whose experiences echo Brown's life. Brown wrote it with his mother, Mary Brown, by the rapid prompting method, and its publication started a debate over whether he can be considered its author.

Jenna Bush Hager included it on her Read With Jenna book club list for the Today Show.