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Ellen Isaacs | |
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In 1943 in Mississippi, Jewel Hilburn gives birth to a child with Down's Syndrome, changing the course of her and her family's life. Jewel, who spent part of her childhood in an orphanage, is determined not to put Brenda Kay in an institution, even though she and the doctors know relatively little about how to take care of her. The cost is that she has little energy left for her husband Leston and her five other children. Eventually, she sees an article in Reader's Digest of a school in Los Angeles for children like Brenda Kay, and she is determined to overcome Leston's objections to moving to a place so far and different from their home. When they finally move, Jewel becomes involved in the school, while the rest of the family grows up, building new lives in this very different world. By the end, Jewel and Leston reconcile their choices and how their lives have been affected by Brenda Kay. This book could have been one of those formula "triumph over adversity" stories that are frequently made into Hollywood movies. Instead, I found this book to be a rich character study that gave a realistic portrait of how people make do when faced with hardship. I'm no expert on Down's Syndrome, but I did spend a summer as a counselor for kids with Down's, and the characterization of Brenda Kay's behavior rang true to me. So did the way Jewel gradually adjusted her expectations to match Brenda Kay's abilities, so that she could take great joy in each small step, just as you would with any child. I found it especially interesting to see how Jewel coped at a time when there was less support for people with this syndrome, at a time when the syndrome was actually called Mongoloid Idiocy. Lott's lovely writing style and insightful but understated tone enhance the story. Jewel is an enjoyable and worthwile book to read.
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