The fist book which I recommend is “The Story of Beautiful Girl” by Rachel Simons.

This story takes place back in the days (1968) when anyone could be locked away forever in a mental institution for being slow, strange or not considered normal.

An older women, Martha who is retired, receives a knock on her door. Standing on her doorstep, is a large African-American deaf man named Homan and a young white woman named, Lynnie. Lynnie is holding a newborn baby.

When the authorities who are searching for them arrive at Martha's house, Homan escapes out the back door. Lynnie, who had been hiding in the attic, came downstairs without the baby and as she is taken away, she whispers to Martha, “hide her.”

The story goes through the next 40 years about what happens to Martha, Homan, Lynnie and the baby, Julia.

 

 

Rachel Simons has also written another non-fiction book, called “Riding the Bus With My Sister”. This is about her Down's Syndrome sister who spends almost every day riding the public bus system in Philidelphia. Her sister, Beth challenges her to ride the bus with her. Rachel agrees and spends the next year at least once a month for a year.

I have both of these books if someone wants to borrow them.