Buccaneer Books

I bought this book for one of my children for a summer reading project. I needed a specific version and was glad I could search Amazon by ISBN. The book arrived quickly and the price was reasonable. I'm sure other family members will enjoy the book when the projcet is complete.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

This one is a classic, of course. Chances are that you remember it from your own childhood, what more is there to say?

My nieces love this one. It's not too wordy, so it's great for very little children and for those nights where you really want everybody in bed five minutes ago! But the words that are there are perfectly selected, nothing is missing. Lyrical is the word I'd use.

And the story about Max having his time-out and repenting (or, for that matter, his mother changing her mind about her over-reaction) is one that most children can relate to, I think.

If you want something really wild read the Adventures With Boys series! It's as good as this book!

This was my one of my favorite kid books that I loved! However, just seeing the cover again reminds me how it scared me a little. It didn't stop me from enjoying the story. I still have the tattered version in my store room.

I have purchased it as gifts too and the kids love it!

Merna

Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!

His mother called him "WILD THING!" Max is sent to bed without eating anything. He sails off into a far away land where is becomes the King of the wild things.

As a child, I was afraid of what could be under the bed or in the closet. My mom used to read this book to me and told me that there are no monsters under the bed or in the closet and that I have to sail to far away land to see one. As a dad, I read this book in the same message.

Some criticize this book as being too scary for little one I think it's a good way of showing that there is nothing to fear. Besides these monsters are almost adorable compared to what kids see at a shopping center

The illustrations have become such a classic that almost every kids monster characters can be trace back to this. From the opening of the page kids will feel like there is something familiar about it and be drawn in.

The story ends with Max returning to find his supper waiting for him. A nice touch to show mothers love.

The last line in this great book is "...and it was still hot", and it is!
I first read this book in a Children's Literature class in college (which was taught by our county's wonderful head Children's Librarian); I used it for my picture book presentation. I later over the next few years told it at different events as an "oral tradition" style presentation, which goes to show you how well it is written. The other thing is the wonderful illustrations.

For those of you that aren't familiar with children's lit, the gold medal on the front of the book is the Caldecott Award for Excellence in Picture books. You can hardly go wrong picking up any book so designated and give to a child.

I read this to all my kids and now grandkids and they have all loved it,
And my sweetheart has taught Kindergarten this whole decade and read this to every class, and they all continue to love it every time!

Excellent story plot for both the young and old.... A story to be passed down from generation to generation

I don't often read books. I think I can say that I've read about as many books as I have fingers. I also can say that this books is so precious to me that I have it in hardcover. On top of that, this is the first review I've ever written.

I'm 29 years old and this by far is and is not a children's book. It's good fantasy for a child's mind, but it is so much more. If you aren't into philosophy, then you will miss so much that this book has to offer. But to each their own.

Being a child of the 80's, I had certainly watched and enjoyed the movie. But the movie totally misses the point of what Michael Ende was trying to convey. And I don't blame Mr. Ende for wanting to have nothing to do with the movie (they snuck his name in in the credits). I hope to see a remake of the movie that actually sticks to the story within my lifetime. Regardless, I have the book.

The message of this book is so powerful. The journey it takes you on is necessary for the end to have its full impact. The way it touches on reality is so phenomenal.

If you want to read about the human journey, this is the book for you. The conclusion brings purpose, not only to the main character, but a reminder to you.

What are we living for? Read and find out.

This book is a childhood favorite and even to this day at the age of 21 I absolutely love this book. The adventure and writing style is absolutely irresistible.

This is perhaps the greatest - certainly one of the most well-known - works of German juvenile literature in the last century. And it is so much more than simply a fantasy adventure, although it certainly doesn't lack in entertainment value.

The book is actually imaginative literature that makes the imagination itself its main subject. It is about the proper handling of one's imagination and how to SAVE the imagination as an essential part of being human. The English reader might not immediately notice this, but the German reader will. In the German original, Fantastica/Fantasia is called "Phantasien," which is derived from the German word for "imagination." Thus, Fantastica could be called "The Realm of One's Imagination."

For a full appreciation of the book, it is important to recognize this. When Bastian, the main character, steals The Neverending Story from an antique book store and starts reading it, he doesn't enter (within the fictitious world of the story) a real place such as Narnia or Hogwarts. Rather, he enters his own imagination and needs to learn to handle his imagination well.

Being an outsider in school, Bastian is tempted to use his imagination in a bad way, namely for egoistical daydreams in which he imagines himself doing whatever he likes and taking revenge on others. Slowly, he learns that this is not the proper way of handling his imagination - that self-absorbed daydreaming is harmful.

So he learns to save his imagination from the threat of "Nothing," which is eating up Fantastica.

The intended parallel isn't hard to find. Michael Ende was a man deeply concerned about the loss of people's imagination in modern culture (about the "nothingness" eating it up), and both his novel "Momo" and "The Neverending Story" deal with this.

Whether you are young or old, whether you intend this book for yourself or your children, it is ideal for growing one's imagination as well as reflecting on its precious realm.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Many reviewers have already given a synopsis of this fantastic story of a boy literally drawn into a book he is reading. So, I wanted to comment on this particular edition.

I was hesitant to spend so much money on a book that has been in print for so long and is readily available in cheap paperback copies. However, this is a beautiful hardcover edition. Collectible quality. The dust jacket has lovely artwork. But, the best aspect is the two color text. The majority of the book is printed in green typeface. Bastion's sections are printed in red typeface. This allows for a smooth, but noticeable, transition between the two stories. I think this makes is easier on younger readers to keep track of what's going on, as well as being visually appealing. The paper feels thicker than in most books, and seems to be high quality. Bright white pages showcase the color text very well.

Fans of "The Princess Bride" would enjoy the story. Book collectors will be happy to add this to their shelf.

I read this book many times when I was young and was thrilled to find it still in print. I would recommend this for anyone who loves romance novels with historical fact mixed in.

Thought this book was a very good read. I Love fiction with historical facts. Beautiful love story. The end got a little long so thats the only reason i didn't give it a 5.

This book is worth purchasing. Yet, somehow that's an understatement. I now have my own copy and am reluctant to lend it!

Several of my friends raved about this book. I liked it okay. And I love to read so much; I'm not that hard to please. There were several kind of raunchy parts that I didn't expect, as well as numerous bawdy references. But there is a theme of redemption in the end that I liked quite a lot that makes the story more...well, redeeming. The last 150 pages or so were the best, I think. It wasn't riveting for me, but the history was really interesting, and I learned a lot.

This is one of my very favorite books ever. In fact I've gone through 2 copies already I read it so often. I'll keep buying it because each time I read it I find it more fascinating. I would highly recommend this book.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

I read this book the first time when I was in Jr. high school. I know I have reread it at least ten times. I have 2 copies one falling apart and one to lend to friends. As you can surely see I love this book.

Yes! I have read a few books that I wanted to read again. However, "Mrs. Mike" by Benedict and Nancy Freedman found me wanting to re-read chapters the first time through.
This treasure will be stored in a special place to be read again and again when I want to go back in time, feel feelings and thank God for talented authors.
I wish I had found it as a teenager, or a young mother. Guess this retiree should just be grateful that I was given this warm gift in my latter years.

Mrs Mike is an old friend. I first read and enjoyed this book more than 35 years ago. This story chronicals the life of mountie Sgt Mike and Mrs. Mike. It honestly chronicals these lives and shows that it is in the sharing of the small things that make life joyful. I'm so happy to be able to now be able to now share this book with my neice

I just got this book again since I lost/loaned my first copy. Although some have critisized the writing style, and the facts, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's one to keep on your shelf and pull out from time to time to reread.

I found this book in the school library when I was in 7th grade. I read it every year I was in school there. It was a wonderful story about a young girl who falls in love with a good man and talks about their life together. It made me laugh, cry, and cry some more. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story. It is a great book.

This is one of those classic novels that you could read again and again. I hadn't read it since high school twenty years ago and just re-read Christy last week. I like it even better now than I did then (and I loved it then, too). I would have loved to have had Catherine Marshall's version of a sequel (hopefully it would have consisted of a continuation of Neil & Christy's romance), but I guess we get to imagine the "happily ever after" instead. It's a great read!

Sorry, but the glut of coincidences and melodramatic writing was just too much. I'm going back to my nonfiction now.

I just read this book and what can I say except that it was amazing. I actually prefer Neil to David. David was never very consistent in his faith he was good talker but he had no understanding. I recomend this book to anyone who already has faith or is struggling to find theirs. Read this book! You won't be sorry!

I really enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the fact that many of the events in the book are in the series released on DVD. I would have preferred if certain subjects had not been discussed in this book so that it would be more appropriate for younger ages. Other than that it was a really enjoyable read.

This is one of my very favorite books! I've read it over so many times and never get tired of it. It's just so interesting, captivating and touching.

Although I'll turn 50 this year, I read this little book again today - my original Scholastic version from the 1960s - and fell in love again with the characters. I'm a softy, true, but it made me cry. I came to the Internet hoping Marian Cockrell had written another children's book, perhaps (I dearly hoped) a sequel. Maybe I'll buy the expanded version instead.

This treasure of a book is perfect for your grade-schooler who loves fairies, princesses, or magic. It's also perfect for the wide-eyed adult who's still a child at heart and loves those things as well.

I read this book as a child and searched for years for a copy to give my daughter. It is a wonderful fairy tale, with very good moral values. Share this with your kids!

First loved this story 53 years ago and have been looking for it ever since. So glad that it was reprinted. I enjoyed the expanded, but the first one was not and loved it anyway.

i'm thrilled that this book is back in print..my sister and i have fought over our copy for years...our kids have loved it also...they need to write more books like this

What a pleasure to see this charming children's chapter book back in print. It was a favorite of mine when I was grade-school age, and an old, taped-up and battered copy still sits on on my bookshelf. In this tale, the lives and adventures of a family of fairies and half-fairies are paraded before the eyes of Lucy, a little human girl who has wandered into the borderlands of their world. A mysterious young man named Michael takes Lucy to a deserted castle where the shadows of past inhabitants can be seen on the walls of a tower room. As Lucy watches the shadows move about, Michael identifies each figure, and recounts their adventures of long, long ago.

The stories of the fairy princes and princesses, and their human and non-human relatives and associates, are told a simple but descriptive prose that young readers should find appealing. For children still a little bit young for the vocabulary of Harry Potter, but too old for Dr. Seuss, this is a perfect read. The illustrations are delightful as well--how I loved the pictures of beautiful Princess Meira and her friend, the dragon Branstookah!

I read this book many years ago and have never forgot it. I am buying a
copy and reading it again. I want to see if I still have the same reaction to it as I did than. If not I feel it is me that has changed
and the book is still wonderfu.

I read over 200 books a year and without a doubt, FIVE SMOOTH STONES is my all time favorite. I read it over 20 years ago and have not topped it yet.

When I read this book more than 30 years ago as a young adult, it touched my heart in places I never knew existed.The trials deep seeded prejudice presents to a family should never again be experienced by anyone. My son is of a beautiful biracial union and we strive everyday to demonstrate the love, faith and solidarity that was part of David's life. Thank you Ann Fairbairn.

I read this book in college 30 years ago. It was the turbulent 60's, and I was keenly aware of everything wrong in our society. This book stuck with me as somehow hopeful. I'm starting my own Book Group now, as a retired teacher. I'm going to reread this to see if I'm still as moved by it now and if it's book-group worthy.

I can't tell you the first time I read this book. I can tell you that I re-read it every couple of years because it touches my heart so. I was born in 1950 so I can remember a lot of the civil rights movement. I began looking for a copy of this book around 1995 and it was already out of print. However a dear friend of mine located a paper back copy in a used book store and gave it to me for Christmas in either 1995 or 1996. It is the best Christmas gift I have ever received (and probably the least expensive) as it gives me the opportunity to read it again whenever I want! (I was also later given a hard-back copy by someone whose mother had two copies of it.) I treasure both copies.

I've read some reviews and have to repeat what someone else has pointed out: Readers need to keep in mind that this stuff happened in the 40's and 50's. You can't criticize the smoking, because at that time, people didn't know smoking around kids was harmful. Smoking was a very normal activity for many adults. If Marie Killilea had known that smoking might be contributing to her miscarriages and ill health of her kids, I'm sure she would have stopped. People didn't know.

You can't criticize Karen's parents for not creating a cerebral-palsy playgroup for her, because they were the groundbreakers in treating cerebral palsied kids like "normal" kids. They were flying by the seat of their pants. My guess would be that they decided they should raise Karen "normally," and having her play a lot with other handicapped kids would not have seemed "normal"--after all, what they were fighting were doctors and other professionals who recommended placing Karen permanently in an institution FILLED with other handicapped people. This book is not a recent book and it has to be read in the historical context. I mean, schools were still segregated when Karen was born. Geez.

I read this book and "With Love From Karen" when I was in about fifth and sixth grade, after my mother gave me "Wren." Honestly, I never thought much about the cerebral-palsy side of the books. I was an only child, I loved animals, and I thought that Karen was lucky to live in her family. The cerebral palsy was kind of a side issue for me. We didn't go to church, and I didn't understand a lot of the Catholic stuff either, but I loved that the family sounded so close.

I think the concern someone posted about publishing this book when Karen was still young has some validity, but--her mom was desperately trying to draw attention to the fact that handicapped kids were okay. She succeeded in a huge way, through this book. She influenced a generation of people, people who would have looked at her daughter strangely if they ever met her, due to her handicap, but, instead, looked at Karen as practically an angel, because they felt they knew her through this book. And after all, when Marie wrote the book, she would have had no idea that it would end up being in print for decades and read all over the world, and that Karen would still be hounded by fans in 2007 (which apparently she is, when they can track her down).

I guess what I'm saying is, before anyone criticizes Karen's mom, they ought to keep in mind that their opinions about what's right and wrong for handicapped kids were probably shaped by Karen's mom, whether they realize it or not. Our whole society was influenced by "Karen." Yeah, everyone knows you don't keep a kid with cerebral palsy hidden in the basement of your house--but hey, America didn't always know that.

I just found a website where I read that Gloria's two daughters, ages 9 and 7 at the time, were killed in a house fire. I actually cried over this. Although of course I never met any of these people, they felt like my family when I was a kid.

I picked up this book in a library toss bin recently and foolishly (not realizing it was out of print) left it on the airplane for the next passenger requiring inspiration. The many 5-star reviews should give an objective reader a clue as to the type of book this is, and the type of writer Killilea was--and that does NOT mean Jane Austen. Because I am something of a 3-star Sally in my reviews, I must add that my usual complaints (poor writing, confusing organization, insufficient editing) are not my reasons for faulting this book. It is fairly well-written (back when editors were editors!), with the insousiance that pervades works by well-fed, country club ladies of the 1950's (Jean Kerr comes to mind) who bore none of the crosses feminism would later burn figuatively on their expansive front lawns.

My beef about this book--please do NOT send me nasty e-mails!--is that I did not find any of the characters, and I include the title character and the author, particularly appealing. As to Karen herself, she was a little girl undergoing a particular education regimen. It was rigorous and stressful, and, being a little girl who, like most little girls, wanted desperately to please those whom she loves, she survived it. But living to tell the tale is not the same as heroism, though nowadays you would never know it, and if Oprah were interviewing Homer about Troy, we'd be listening to the story of Aeneas rather than Hector. I doubt that Killilea's intention was to raise her daughter to a pinnacle, though, and anyone who views the child's story as a triumph over adversity is misreading the book. I believe that Killilea's point was that Karen's story could be ANY child's story, given the same set of favorable circumstances.

So, having attempted to view the author's intentions in a light most sympathetic to me, I sadly must now add that I really didn't like the author ONE BIT. She represents a type of unquestioning, anti-intellectual, rigid Catholicism that makes it hard for other Catholics to be Catholic. Since she flaunts her Irishness, I feel free to whack the ball back into that court by saying that the Italians where I grew up in New York thought people like the Killileas were crazy. I do not know how many Roman Catholics she and her ilk have caused to lapse over the decades; any healthy religion has a spectrum of levels of dogmatism, but this particular group seemed to dominate the Church in New York for a long time (if you think I lie, check the list of bishops in the NYC archdiocese even now).

But I should not air this dirty laundry online! And I should not let my intellectual response to the book be colored by the fact that I now am sojourning in a city that gives full testament to the Catholic Church's exhuberance, wackiness, theological depth, and sensual excess. Killilea was probably an above-average product of her isolated little smoke-filled (literally as well as figuratively!) caucasion world. (I normally make my home in the Baltimore/Washington area, and found quite enlightening her descriptions of the people of color who carried the Killilea luggage on the way to Johns Hopkins Hospital).

Speaking of smoke-filled: Amen to the reviewers who point out the frightening excess of tobacco-dependence. I do believe there was a point in the book in which the author and her husband sit around smoking in the same room where lay their daughter Marie, at that very moment suffering from some type of long-term lung failure. Excuse me? Is there a doctor in the house? (No, wait; the doctors were the ones offering cigarettes.) Maybe just someone with an inquiring mind? (See, it's getting back to the Catholic thing . . . . )

I am 49 now and read this book when I was about 8 years old. (Why a book with curse words was available in the Weekly Reader Book Club for little children to read, I'll never know.) I have never dwelt on any of the negatives that readers are commenting about, with the one exception of the smoking. I do not have CP, but as a child I knew something about me was different. I was premature, late learning to walk, and the slowest runner of all the children - no matter how hard I tried to run faster or how much I loved to run. I had frequent stomachaches & got sick with sinus/allergy/URI's/dehydration regularly every 3 months or so. I almost died at least twice. My ankles turned or twisted very easily. I hated being crowded or hearing loud noises. My legs hurt often, & if I fell on one of my kneecaps, it felt broken because the pain was so horrible. The pediatrician said this was "growing pains", but it wasn't. At the age of 28, I learned that I had "fibrositis", now called Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS or CFIDS). This incurable chronic disease - an autoimmune, muscle, pain, allergy/sinus, urinary, colon, and neurological/cognitive disorder in one - can be disabling. In fact, it has been compared to mild cases of spastic CP. Microscopic tears that grew into huge tears (caused by the FMS) made me need to have major reconstructive surgery of my right knee at 13 and my left knee at 24. So reading about Karen's struggles from a young age helped me to also conquer challenges that my own disability has brought into my life. I presently work a full-time job as an administrative assistant for a global company. I love Big Marie's different writing style. Like today's very popular cable show about the Roloffs of Roloff Farm in Oregon (married dwarves who have 4 children, only one of which is a dwarf), who have the problems and disagreements every family has but struggle as a team to make it in an oversized world, the Killileas were a normal family dealing with a precious child who was labeled "abnormal". I loved that they turned the living room into a physical therapy room and invited the "normal" kids over to watch and join in the fun. I loved that there were gouges in the furniture where Karen had vacuumed, and they didn't care. I loved that Karen was not a little saint - she was human, as proved by the stunts she made her little brother Rory carry out, and the "female dog" term she used to get rid of an obnoxious stranger who invited himself into their house. I loved that Gloria had the maturity, discipline and self-control to wait 7 years for Russ, her true love. I'm not Catholic, but I loved that they regularly went to Mass and had spiritual insights. I loved that they taught Karen to take part in what physical activities she could, such as swimming and horse riding. I loved that Karen dealt with severe pain every day (as I do) and HATE that they put that spreader between her legs at night to stretch her leg muscles - like torture! In short, the best part of "Karen" is that she never limited herself by listening to what doctors and therapists told her she could never do, but she surpassed all their limitations and expectations by victories like walking, writing by hand, and getting up & down off of chairs alone. I'm still inspired by this book today.

I have read "Karen" a number of times since my teen years, though prior to purchasing the book, it had been at least 10 years since my last reading. This story of a girl born in 1940 with cerebral palsy -- and all the trials, tribulations, and stigma that went along with its diagnosis, treatment, and daily living at that time -- remains intriguing and engaging.

More than simply an eye-opening account of life with a severely disabled child, "Karen" is a window into another era, even another culture (the story takes place in the well-to-do suburbs north of New York City). The Killilea's were a devoutly Catholic Irish-American family. This is before Vatican II and the changes it brought to the Mass and to the church itself. Smoking was socially acceptable, its health risks not well-consdidered. These things all play into the story.

I feel compelled to address Marie's (author/narrator) comment, during her husband Jiimmy's serious illness, that she would sacrifice her children. I believe other reveiwers have mis-interpreted her remark. She wasn't minimizing her love for her children; she was expressing her extraordinary love and devotion to her husband. Again, remember that the book was written in 1952 and should not be judged as if it had been written in 2006. Language, customs, beliefs, and even our culture were significantly different.

In summary, "Karen" is a fascinating story. Should you take everything in it at face value? No, of course not. Is it worth reading? Absolutely, if not for the day-to-day details of life with cerebral palsy, then for the window into life in suburbia in the early 1950's.

It is also worth noting that Marie Killilea was instrumental in founding United Cerebral Palsy, the organization that still advocates for and supports the cerebral palsied today.

I read this the first time as an adult. I had asked a librarian if she could recommend a good heartwarming book, and she insisted this was what I needed to read. It instantly became one of my all time favorites. The main reason I wanted to review it here, is I notice so many fellow readers complaining about the mother's approach to her daughter's disability, etc, and I want to point out,when Karen was born, the world was a different place entirely. 'Political correctness' had not been coined yet.
Smoking was not recognized as the evil we now think of; in fact, it was common for doctor's to smoke in their offices with their patients. Mother's were not told to quit smoking because they were pregnant. I could go on, but my point is, for the time in our history when Karen was a child, there was no Disability Rights Act. The idea to treat a disabled child with dignity and equal rights were sadly un-common, and this is not the fault of Karen's family. Like all of us, they did the best they could with what they knew how to do.
I think all this P.C. talk is taking away from the underlying feeling of the book. It is a triumph of the human spirit and I see that so clearly and am left feeling good about the strength and courage inside of us that we don't know is there, unless we are forced to summon it, or learn about someone like Karen, who had no choice but to live life the best she could.
I am not condoning smoking or other bad choices mentioned in the book. I am simply attempting to suggest that if that is all you are looking at, you are missing the boat.
This is the kind of book that I love most; it makes me laugh and cry and most of all, it is the kind of story that makes me realize how small most of my problems are.
It brings to mind other humbling people such as Helen Keller. It may not be an equal comparison, but the feeling I derive from it is the same.