Finding Father
A Magical Quest of Faith, Hope, and Autism
Paperback: 979-8-9872416-6-0
E-book: 979-8-9872416-7-7
A young adult on the autism spectrum cannot accept the finality of his father’s sudden death and—with his mother’s help—spends 8 magical months searching for him in places where the family enjoyed time together.
How do you accept the loss of someone you love when the world keeps leaving clues that he can still be found? When a young autistic man named Allen suddenly loses his father without a chance to say goodbye, he is distraught. Then he reaches a conclusion that makes sense to him. Dad isn't dead. He's just missing! And missing people can be found. His mother does not argue. Though grieving her husband, she follows him into a search that becomes as much hers as his. Over eight magical months, they hunt through parks, rivers, even a train station for the man they love. Everywhere they go Allen finds clues: a penny on a step, a stone, a stray cassette tape, four coins he carries in his pocket for months. To him they are not coincidences. They are a trail. What begins as Allen's quest becomes a shared pilgrimage through grief, faith, and devotion, one that leads them to something even better than what they sought: the secret Allen has carried since the night his father died, and an answer that sets them both free. Tender, unflinching, and finally full of joy, Finding Father is the story of a mother and son, and the love that carried them through.
Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn
Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn, EdD, is a faith-rooted author and speaker whose work grows from the lived experience of loss, caregiving, and resilient hope. As a spousal caregiver and parent of an autistic adult, she writes with honesty, tenderness, and spiritual depth about grief and renewal. Her words resonate with caregivers, faith communities, and anyone navigating hard seasons, offering the warmth of someone who has met God in the most difficult places.
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