Dawn Prince-Hughes traces her personal growth from undiagnosed autism to the moment when, as a young woman, she entered the Seattle Zoo and immediately became fascinated with the gorillas.Having suffered from a lifelong inability to relate to people in a meaningful way, Dawn was surprised to find herself irresistibly drawn to thesegreat primates. By observing them and, later, working with them, she was finally able to emerge from her solitude and connect in a way she had never previously experienced.

A culture of one -- A chaos of noise : understanding autism -- The silence before dawn -- Starting off key -- Music behind the looking glass cage -- The difficulty of lyrics long and unfamiliar -- Requiem -- Ancestral hymns : a family history -- Successes -- Sharing the songs.