Anne. Talia. Ruthie. Brett. Four very different New York women. But when their children are diagnosed with autism, they all find themselves struggling with the same problem. Suddenly, these women - an ex-model who owns a downtown bar, a high-powered magazine editor, an English professor, and a physical therapist - find that they need each other, as they face the ultimate challenge for any parent: How to help their autistic children get the care they need. They join together in a support group, and each chapter follows a month in their lives and ends with a meeting.

It's a rocky road, as they contend with: Quacks peddling expensive alternative therapies - and hope; husbands impatient with their children's disability; other women only too happy to take advantage of the pressures on their marriages; older children diagnosed with autism years ago; newborn babies who have a one-in-five chance of suffering from the disorder; scheming co-workers who try to turn this problem to their advantage; grandparents who are anything but helpful; and resentful teens who run wild while their mothers cope with the crisis. And through it all, they help each other - with strength, humor, love and wisdom.