Free as a Bird
by Gina McMurchy-Barber
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Born with Down syndrome, Ruby Jean Sharp comes from a time when being a developmentally disabled person could mean growing up behind locked doors and barred windows and being called names like "retard" and "moron." When Ruby Jean's caregiver and loving grandmother dies, her mother takes her to Woodlands School in New Westminster, British Columbia, and rarely visits.As Ruby Jean herself says: "Can't say why they called it a school — a school's a place you go for learnin an then after you show more get to go home. I never learnt much bout ledders and numbers, an I sure never got to go home."
It's here in an institution that opened in 1878 and was originally called the Provincial Lunatic Asylum that Ruby Jean learns to survive isolation, boredom, and every kind of abuse. Just when she can hardly remember if she's ever been happy, she learns a lesson about patience and perseverance from an old crow.
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Free as a Bird tells the story of Ruby Jean. Ruby is born with Down Syndrome and lives in Woodlands, a facility for "retards" (1960s - 1970s) after being abandoned by her mother and her mother's boyfriend.
The story is narrated by Ruby and is authentic with imperfect spelling, grammar and ideas of language, “on count of me not being so smart”. The story shines a light on the dark and abusive institutions for the disabled. This book really shows the ugliness of history.
Having a brother with Down Syndrome, this book made me angry at what might have happened to my brother if he was born back in this era.
The story is narrated by Ruby and is authentic with imperfect spelling, grammar and ideas of language, “on count of me not being so smart”. The story shines a light on the dark and abusive institutions for the disabled. This book really shows the ugliness of history.
Having a brother with Down Syndrome, this book made me angry at what might have happened to my brother if he was born back in this era.
Nice children's lit, from the veiw point of a disabled student.
Absolutely broke my heart! Such a sad, sweet book!
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9 Works 102 Members
Gina McMurchy-Barber was the recipient of the Governor General's Award for excellence in Teaching Canadian History. Her first novel, Reading the Bones, was nominated for the 2008/2009 Langley Book of the Year Award and 2009 Silver Birch Award. Her second YA novel, Free as a Bird, was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Children's show more Literature (Text) in 2010. show less
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- Languages
- English
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- Paper, Ebook
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