The Story Of Beautiful Girl (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
This was a very good book -- I couldn't put it down (even when soaking in the tub)-- It was again very revealing of conditions where people were institutionalized in horrible conditions because they were considered "feeble-minded" or had some disability where they were considered abnormal. The two main characters in the book escaped from the "school" and one was caught and returned and stayed there until it closed and they were relocated in group homes. The man (deaf/mute)who had befriended the girl, kept running for a lifetime, both still in love with the other and hoping to find each other and eventually they were reunited after they had overcome much of their disability with lots of help along the way. The girl had a baby who was raised by an old woman where they had found shelter on the night they escaped, so it was also the story of their life -- always trying to hide from someone who might return the child to the home and how she claimed to be the grandparent of the baby and had to keep making up stories why she was keeping her. As a newspaper reporter in Wisconsin, I did a lot of work with People First, an organization of people with disabilities who were fighting to be treated with respect and dignity. I was familiar, then, with stories of neglect and abuses at institutions. Still, I initially was riveted by this story of a young woman with cognitive disabilities, the deaf man who loved her and the child she asks a stranger to hide.However, the story stretched on too long, had too many improbable twists and tended to backslide into references to God that I could have done without. Still, I mostly enjoyed this book, even though the agony of waiting for a satisfying reunion was excruciating.Life certainly wasn't a picnic for people with disabilities who lived in these institutions. Their struggles shouldn't be forgotten.
What do You think about The Story Of Beautiful Girl (2011)?
Beautiful story that presents a subject that is often swept under the rug or kept hidden.
—smajor86
This is a great story, something different, that will stay in my thoughts for awhile.
—jaltkinr
Such a great, compelling story, but writing and character development were weak.
—Donna
Beautifully written, heartbreaking yet full of hope.
—asiandirectioner17
I would love to see this turned into a movie!
—Nikita
