The Boy Who Brings Happiness

Marusya works as a journalist and is the mother of a boy with autism spectrum syndrome. Platon is the most precious thing in her life—more important than career and personal relationships—but building friendship with him is not easy. The arrival of a new man in their lives, Petr, revives feelings Marusya had forgotten, and their romance intertwines with a secret tragic love from the last century—one that only Platon can reveal: a boy who brings joy.

Covering issues related to autism spectrum disorders is necessary today. Thanks to books like Marina Belkina’s novels, we understand and accept “others” better—because they are the same: real, deep, and vulnerable. This is not just a work of fiction, but a dialogue with society, parents, and with oneself. “The Boy Who Brings Happiness” helps us become more humane, and therefore happier,” says Aleksandr Vetrov, a journalist and host of the program “Addresses of Mercy” on the radio station “Mayak.” “Can a book protect a child from an orphanage? Marina Belkina’s novels can help both parents raising a child with special needs and other readers to look at the problem differently,” notes the magazine “Snob.”