Scan barcode
A review by bickie
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
I really wanted to like this book but just cannot recommend it despite the secular Jewish family from Poland/Russia via Cuba living in Queens with immigrant neighbors from many different countries. Mostly, the book is just way too ableist. There are too many references to "the dumb class" (described as remedial and where "misbehaving" kids end up), including in the author's note, where she does not take the opportunity to describe that while that is hurtful language, it's true to what Ruthie would have felt (did feel) at the time; she just keeps using it outside of the book. There is also too much unexamined discussion of how horrible it is that Ruthie has broken her leg, may never walk again, may be an "invalid" stuck in bed her whole life. While she does learn to have a rich life, especially through reading and painting, the disabled-ness is viewed as terrible and a tragedy, reinforcing ableist stereotypes.
While I appreciate that the author experienced this trauma and that it is an "own voices" book set in the late 1960s when it happened to her, I am also disappointed that an editor did not at least encourage an author's note about how many disabled people live full, rich lives without walking or while spending most of their time unmoving, and about calling a class at school "the dumb class." Additionally, although there is a brief allusion to people "broken" in ways that are not obvious, I'm not a fan of calling people "broken."
I listened to this book, and the narration is extremely clunky and not at all engaging, particularly for the intended middle-grade audience. Attempts at British/Indian, Belgian, and Belgian/Moroccan accents are unsuccessful and would have been better left ignored. Pacing was disjointed, with many sentences? feeling like? they were being. broken up? in funny places? and many phrases and sentences ending in a questioning upward lilt when it did not make sense. Other words were reallllllllly elooooooongated in ways that did not feel natural. The most realistic-sounding "voice" was that of Amara, the occupational therapist who came to her house to help Ruthie learn to walk again.
While I appreciate that the author experienced this trauma and that it is an "own voices" book set in the late 1960s when it happened to her, I am also disappointed that an editor did not at least encourage an author's note about how many disabled people live full, rich lives without walking or while spending most of their time unmoving, and about calling a class at school "the dumb class." Additionally, although there is a brief allusion to people "broken" in ways that are not obvious, I'm not a fan of calling people "broken."
I listened to this book, and the narration is extremely clunky and not at all engaging, particularly for the intended middle-grade audience. Attempts at British/Indian, Belgian, and Belgian/Moroccan accents are unsuccessful and would have been better left ignored. Pacing was disjointed, with many sentences? feeling like? they were being. broken up? in funny places? and many phrases and sentences ending in a questioning upward lilt when it did not make sense. Other words were reallllllllly elooooooongated in ways that did not feel natural. The most realistic-sounding "voice" was that of Amara, the occupational therapist who came to her house to help Ruthie learn to walk again.