<p> Priscilla Gilman experienced childhood as a whirlwind of imagination and creative play. Later, as a student and a scholar of Wordsworth, she embraced the poet's romantic view of children?and eagerly anticipated her own son's birth, certain that he, too, would come ?trailing clouds of glory.? Though extraordinary, Benjamin showed signs of a developmental dis-order that would require intensive therapies and special school-ing, altering the course Priscilla had imagined for her family. </p> <p> In <i>The Anti-Romantic Child</i>, an incredible synthesis of memoir and literature, Gilman explores the complexity of our hopes for our families and ourselves. Using Wordsworth's poetry as a touchstone, she describes her journey through crisis to a place of peace and resilience. Gilman illuminates the flourishing of life that occurs when we embrace the unexpected, and shows how events and situations often perceived as setbacks can actually enrich us. </p>