J. Newman: To Siri with Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son, and the Kindness of Machines

Judith Newman’s bestselling memoir, “To Siri with Love,” originated as an article she had written for The New York Times, discussing her and her family’s, as she puts it, “slice of life” with a child on the Autism Spectrum. Newman does not pretend to speak for all families or individuals affected by the condition, which resonates with the popular and very true adage among the ASD community, “When you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Newman’s goal, above all, seems to be to celebrate her son in all his wonderful quirkiness, while at the same time informing her readership about ASD and perhaps even affect change for those impacted by it. She masterfully conveys all this through her use of humor, often at her own expense, coupled with bracing honesty. Wonderfully, her intended audience is a broad one—not limited to individuals who have loved ones who are or who they themselves are on the Spectrum, but rather, is accessible to readers of all backgrounds. …