¶ … son, Catherine Lewis chronicles the amazing journey of Rex's childhood. Rex is part biography and part autobiography, as Catherine Lewis's own feelings and perceptions are as integral to the story as the tale of Rex himself. The inclusion of the author's point-of-view does far from detract from the story, though. Catherine's input enhances the book and provides a holistic interpretation of the amazing childhood of Rex. Born with a large cyst in his brain, Rex was destined to develop differently from the majority of his peers. Doctors soon figured out he was blind, but Rex's inability to walk, eat solid foods, or talk in tandem with his peers raised many red flags. Soon it became apparent that Rex had symptoms of an autistic disorder. Hypersensitivity to external stimuli, especially touch but also light and sound, was a key sign. So too was Rex's inability to communicate with peers. His repetitive...

Catherine Lewis describes her son as a "tortured prisoner of his own dysfunctional body," (p. 232). That was, until Rex discovered the piano.
The piano first came as a gift, given to Rex on his second birthday. From that moment on, the boy's and his mother's lives were transformed. Rex still could not navigate this way through a room that he had walked through hundreds of times before: "his brain was filled with spatial confusion," (p. 125-126). Yet Rex could find the piano. Catherine Lewis notes, "his brain could relax…at his piano he was safe," (126). The feeling of safety Rex felt at the piano allowed Rex to relax his mind and connect with the world.

Music became Rex's language and means of communication. When it was time for Rex to attend school, the piano became integrated into his…