Karl was born seriously damaged by toxoplasmosis and hydrocephalus. Barely alive at birth he survived, but doctors said he would be ineducable. Today forty-five-year-old Karl is articulate, talented, and living independently.

In direct and flowing narrative Norma Delgarno tells the story of her son: his traumatic birth and difficult neo-natal months, his early learning struggles, and the cognitive therapy which enabled him to cope with mainstream education and enter the workforce, and finally, his development as an artist.

Poignant and fascinating, this success story with its theme of one child's development against the odds has universal implications: the plasticity of the human brain and its ability to repair itself under the right stimuli; the vital role that music and books play in the development of motor and cognitive skills; and the resilience and strength of the human spirit under stress.