Full Tilt Boogie: A journey into autism, fatherhood, and an epic test of man and beast.
By Hal Walter
224 pages, Out There Publishing; 1st edition (2014)
ISBN: 978-0967714813
Reviewed by Martha Quillen
Whether Hal Walter is about to get pulled over a cliff by his unpredictable Jenny, Full Tilt Boogie, or he and his wife are sitting on the edge of their seats at a grade-school performance hoping their son Harrison won’t fall prey to a sudden emotional outburst, this book is an incredibly candid account of a man trying to do his best.
When the book opens, Hal is a champion pack burro racer who is getting older and a little bit slower. He yearns for one last win, and a friend assures him that Boogie is his best bet. She’s beautiful, graceful and uncommonly fast – a runner born.
But Boogie is seldom cooperative and at times seems downright out of control, which is a perfect metaphor for how Walter sees his life. He isn’t sure that he’s doing the right thing. Should he be training this crazy Jenny? Does he live in the right place? Have he and his wife chosen the right therapy for their son?
Walter lives in a scenic wonderland far from the maddening crowds. He’s a stay-at-home dad and writer who does ranch work for himself and others, and he takes his son to work with him. Harrison seems calmer out on the trail and in the company of animals, but is it safe?
Walter introduces the reader to his home; his Jenny, who answers to no man; his autistic son Harrison, who’s bright, talented, clever and quirky, but also prone to meltdowns and is therefore, perhaps, even more unpredictable than Boogie; his wife, who’s a quiet, steady presence in this story; and their community and friends.
Walter is brutally frank about his self-doubt and uncertainty, but that’s not what stands out in this book. What comes through is this man’s grit and determination. The book is part adventure and part memoir, and is marvelously life-affirming. It brims with hope, courage, determination and love.
One senses from the very first pages that there is nothing more important to Walter and his wife than doing right by their child. What isn’t so obvious is whether Walter will get through training Boogie unscathed and in one piece, and whether he’ll win the burro race.
As for the family’s bigger challenges? By the end, one is absolutely sure that if there’s a family who can rise to meet a challenge, it’s this one (which is not surprising, really, considering that the man likes to coax recalcitrant donkeys up steep trails at a breakneck pace).
Well-written and thoughtful, Full Tilt Boogie is both realistic and grounded and yet amazingly inspiring. It’s a page-turner with heart and soul.
