Incident in Romania

I just finished reading this book that I received from Early Reviewers. It was eye opening while at the same time engrossing as a mystery. I never knew much about Romania. The first part of the book dealt mostly with the Romanian culture and also treatment of disabled children. It was fascinating to read about the role Occupational Therapists have in helping children with disabilities and also about life for some people in Romania. In the second half of the book the mystery picks up and it keeps you engrossed.
The story revolves around 3 British therapists who travel to Romania for a week to help teach Romanian caregivers techniques used in Britain. It was a quick read and very enjoyable. I would recommend.

I was intrigued by this book and what it exposed regarding views about people, especially children, who are disabled. The stigma was palpable especially set in rural Romania. Not just how individuals viewed these vulnerable children, but how the culture on a whole did not see value in supporting their needs when it came to basic necessities. The author did a good job in describing this.

The reading of the book, however, was difficult for me to connect with. It was overly descriptive and a little too wordy for me. The story line is good, but it took a great deal to continue reading and see past writing. I always promise honesty in a review and unfortunately that is it. I am glad that I persevered through the wordiness of the writing show more because the story was worth it. One thing I would have liked was a bit of a deeper ending. That also seem a little stodgy. show less

This cozy mystery explores the ugly realities of disability stigma including the financial, cultural and clinical struggles the characters faced. However, the writing style felt clinical and sometimes overly explanatory, which made it harder for me to fully engage with the story. I also struggled to get a strong sense of place, and the protagonist didn’t fully connect with me as a reader. I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a free copy of "Incident in Romania: Disability Stigma" via LibraryThing. I have a soft spot for Romania and always want to read about it. This story was well written and touched on a few sad topics: disability, orphanages, prejudice and murder. The author, Diana Manwaring did a great job of writing about the sad subjects and making them feel real.