From the Publisher
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Orphan Collector |
What She Left Behind |
The Life She Was Given |
The Plum Tree |
Coal River |
|
| A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic | A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction | A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women | An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust | A Powerful and Unforgettable Story of 20th Century Injustice |
marta –
That people are capable to treat children and some adults this terrible. That it takes so long to get something so awful to stop
Eva C. –
deserve respect and compassion. Treatment and living conditions may have evolved for those affected but a lack of understanding of these health issues or misinformation means that a stigma rears its ugly head today. Our society has created solutions from the mistakes of institutions such as Willowbrook, however; there is still much to be done for the large percentage of the homeless and prisoners who suffer from mental health issues.If you would like to learn about the horrors and pain of the mentally ill, intellectually or physically challenged, then I suggest that you read this book. Unfortunately, this work of fiction comes uncomfortably close to the reality of treatment and living conditions in our society’s past.
Amazon Customer –
Unbelievable! How can parents do that to their own children. How can a place like this exists ? How about the doctors and nurses? Very sad story, with a real ending.
Barb V. –
I loved it!! Kept me pulled in from start to finish.
Sena –
Stress and shock were a daily feeling every time I read a chapter. A must historical read. You won’t be able to put it down.
Placeholder –
This book should serve as a catalyst to “childrens’ homes” throughout the United States and other countries. This was a painful book to read but has a beautifully enquiring ending. Thank you, Ellen Marie Wiseman. I’m looking forward to reading the remaining books.
Belladaball –
This was a great book to read. I finished it in a week. I work with developmentally disabled adults and we had to learn about the horrible things that happened at Willowbrook in real life. We have clients that were treated in similar ways and were part of a lawsuit for disability rights. Anyways, I always enjoy books by this author and this one didn’t disappoint. I love the way she mixes a fictional story with true history.
Betty S –
A powerful book. Don’t give up on it, even though you might be tempted to do so. The author is incredibly descriptive of the most deplorable and inhumane conditions experienced by any person. These are difficult to read but necessary for true understanding on your part. Sometimes, when they become overwhelming, skim reading helps. The characters are skillfully developed and you are kept on the edge of your seat toward an ending you don’t entirely see coming. Then the author wraps it up in a way that made even stoic me need a handkerchief.
AmazonPrimeAddict –
OMGosh! I stayed up way too late binge reading this book. It is SO GOOD! The blurb does not allude at all what happens in this book. Go into it without reading any reviews with spoilers, because the author puts her foot on the gas pedal and never lets up! I read this in 24 hours. I cannot recommend it enough. If you enjoy novels based on real life historical events/happenings, mystery, crime, thriller, suspense you will love this!
N.M.Finch –
What a terrible thought, to be stuck in an institution like Willowbrook and believed to be someone you’re not. Or, heck, to be anyone stuck in a place like that. I seem to be a rare 5-star reviewer on this book, but I thought the writing brought you right into the wards of Willowbrook and into the mind of someone being trapped there, believed to be her schizophrenic twin sister.Like others, at first I found it hard to believe that they thought Sage was her sister Rosemary. Surely after six years in that terrible place, Rosemary would have looked sickly and hardly like the healthy-looking Sage when she shows up. But then I think about confirmation bias and how your brain is more apt to believe something that already aligns with what you think to be true. And I think about these doctors and nurses and caretakers who can save their own bums by believing Sage is Rosemary. And so they do.Well-written, though keep in mind it is a 16 year old narrator and written as such, with the worries and thoughts a 16 year old might have, and a story that even after I’ve finished reading, I still find myself thinking about. Which I think is the greatest compliment you can give to a book.