A review by readermeginco
Miss Jane by Brad Watson

5.0

In this coming of age novel with a twist, Jane Chisolm is born in rural Mississippi in 1915 with a genital birth defect. In a time when women were valued mostly for their reproductive abilities, she lacks a vagina, but more limiting is her lack of control over normal bodily functions, requiring her to grow up wearing a diaper. As Jane grows up, she is endearing without being too charming or precocious. Andrea Barrett refers to this book as "deceptively simple" and I heartily agree; it is a story from a time long past at this point. Miss Jane is a quiet, thought-provoking novel and the choices Jane makes throughout her life will leave me pondering both the limits imposed upon us and those we impose upon ourselves. This book will stay with me for a long time.