A novel that is “utterly absorbing, and full of wit [with] a doozy of a twist . . . An all-around delight” (Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette? ). Charles Marlow teaches his high school English students that language will expand their worlds. But linguistic precision cannot help him connect with his autistic son, his ex-wife, or his college-bound daughter, who has just flown the nest. He’s at the end of a road he’s traveled on autopilot for years when a series of events forces him to think back on the lifetime of decisions and indecisions that have brought him to this point. With the help of an ambitious art student, an Italian-speaking nun, and the memory of a boy in a white suit who inscribed his childhood with both solace and sorrow, Charles may finally be able to rewrite the script of his life. From the national-bestselling author of Broken for You , Language Arts is an affecting tale of love, loss, and language—its powers and its perils.