Upward Bound: A Novel

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

This novel is personal for me. I’ll get to that in a minute. Upward Bound is a novel written by Woody Brown, a young man with an MFA in Creative Writing from UCLA. This is his debut novel. A work that may never have happened if he had not had an alternative method of communication. Woody Brown is a person who is non-verbal due to ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder. Each chapter in Upward Bound, is the viewpoint of each character, “clients” with a disability, administrator, non-disabled aides. Each person tells their story and gives their observations of life in the adult day care program called Upward Bound. Walter begins the novel in the first chapter and we see the world through his eyes. And what show more intelligent eyes they are. He has earned an AA degree and should be continuing his higher education but for family circumstances that have put him in this sterile environment where no choices are given, assumptions are made regarding intelligence based on lack of verbal communication abilities, and his communication method is denied him while he attending Upward Bound. Upward Bound is a misnomer. Instead the “clients” are committed to a purgatory of boredom, infantilization, and stasis. They are going anywhere. Walter’s days are filled with meaningless activities and his actions are misinterpreted as non-compliance. But Walter is an acute observer of this reality and those around him. Luckily, he has an advocate and communicating partner in his mother. Mom is his champion and her struggle with an unfair and disinterested society is told with gratitude and awe.

This first chapter brought me to tears. I spent 40 years working with people with disabilities who were nonverbal, first as a Mental Health Assistant and then as an Occupational Therapist. . I knew in my gut that there was more inside, that if they could communicate, if they could make meaningful choices, we could know how to help them manage behaviors and help them learn to be more self-sufficient. Walter’s situation is a good example of what happens when alternative communication techniques are dismissed and denied. I knew the characters in the novel. Walter, Jorge, Emma, Tom, were my students. Dave was a principal I’ve encountered. Carlos was one of many para educators I had the pleasure to work with.

The next chapters featured staff and “clients” in the most respective way giving readers not familiar with disabilities a positive view of their humanity. A tragedy occurs and its aftermath is related in language that conveys love and empathy that Mr. Brown communicates throughout the novel. That is what makes this novel about encounters between people with disabilities and the temporarily able bodied so evocative.

I recommend this novel for everyone. show less

I will look at people who might be in a place like Upward Bound differently in the future. Each person at Upward Bound is an individual and Brown shows that beautifully. Some struggle more than others. Likewise, the staff. All in all, compassion and really trying to see each other has the most potential to make a difference. A very moving novel.

I had no way of letting people know who I was, and my exterior presentation let people to make demeaning assumptions about me. from Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Most people complain that their exterior does not represent who they are, but after reading Upward Bound such complaints will feel trivial. The characters in this novel do not have control over their bodies, can not communicate with voices, and are housed in a day facility run by staff with no training to improve their time there.

Every week, the ‘clients’ are bused to Target and walked around. They aren’t allowed to buy anything. Jorge lives for Mr. Potato Head. He can only have the toy during the time of day the toy closed is opened. So, when he is at Target he runs from show more the group to stare at the boxes of his beloved, untouchable, toy.

Jorge and I are both inmates at an insane asylum that passes itself off as a day program for autistic young adults. from Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Walter can point to a QWERTY alphabet board to communicate, which got him through high school and community college. But with his dad’s death, his mother had to work, and it was not safe to leave him alone…so he ended up in Upward Bound. Straight-A student or not, at Upward Bound he was voiceless and powerless.

Chapters present the stories of Walter, Jorge, movie star looker Tom, and other clients and the staff of Upward Bound, even the Target cashier who is inspired by what she sees. It is an affecting read that will tug your heartstrings and expand your understanding. I already recommended it for our book club.

Thanks to Hogarth Books for a free book through NetGalley. show less

I had no idea this book was so controversial. I actually made a concerted effort not to look up the author for spoilers, which is hilarious because when I did look up the author afterwards there was the controversy. Anyhow, I kind of wish I hadn’t read Upward Bound because of the disputed authorship. Facilitated communication has been disproven and from any of the research I can see, it has never been replicated with controls and independent validation. I’m really uncomfortable with its ‘hidden genius’ narrative too, because it supports the idea that communication type/content = worth or intelligence.

This was a touching story and while at times I smiled, laughed and felt good while reading it, it mostly had me feeling melancholy and angry. It was skillful the way different people’s stories were told and the way each section was told from a different person’s point of view. There is one central character but several main characters. Clients, staff, family members, a impartial observer. This was done well and it worked.

I liked all the slice of life stories but could have done without the episode of senseless and tragic violence, even though I guess that its outcome gave the story more punch and maybe even more depth.

In the spoiler is something I read about the writing of this book. I read something in a review that made me look show more up what was unusual about the writing of this novel and found this information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upward_Bound_(novel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facilitated_communication

I sure hope that he wrote it. On the one hand, I don’t care who wrote it because it’s a good story and it stands on its own but it would be cruel irony if his mother had control of what was written. The characters here are so poignant because of their lack of agency and I hate to think this author was in their predicament.

3-1/2 stars show less

A moving story of a daycare for autistic adults, featuring tales that highlight both the adults and their caregivers. Walter, a non-verbal man, "narrates" the novel, relating the stories, the compassion of many caregivers, and the clients' contributions.
Although the book was short, it packed a powerful punch.

This is a story that tugs at your heart and soul in a profound way.

Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a world without the ability to speak or move around freely. What if we couldn’t control our bowels at times? What if we weren’t able to feed ourselves?

The story had point of views from a director, assistant, staffer, lifeguard and those with disabilities at an adult day care center, Upward Bound. It was described as a dismal place that was once a nursing home and still looks the same from the 80s.

Every day there were daily activities with games, exercises and music along with lunch periods. The staffers needed to be patient with tasks that were repetitive and boring to many those who needed care. show more Everything was slow going as the caretakers had to manage those in wheelchairs and people that needed specialized help.

It’s a short book that is well written giving us a chilling effect upon the disabled characters. Most of us will never understand what it’s like to have a body that is incapable to speaking, eating or moving around. Our society has a tendency to want to place anyone different in an isolated, unwelcoming place.

It’s my hope that this book will be an awakening for greater support that they need and deserve. It’s also my hope that this author will continue to broadened our understanding with more books to come.

My thanks to Hogarth Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 31, 2026. The viewpoints expressed are my own. show less