Rachel Simonand how to slow down and enjoy the ride. Elegantly woven throughout the odyssey are riveting memories of terrifying maternal abandonm...
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Jan 07, 2008
Kelly
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I'm only about halfway through with this book, but it is such an endearing story about a woman (writer) who takes time off from her normal schedule to literally ride the bus with her mentally challenged sister(Beth)for one year. She discovers not only Beth's challenges, but the numerous ways that she is brave, industrious, self-sufficient and "normal."
The relationship between the sister's, as well as that of Beth and the drivers, lends to a heart-warming story that is t More...
The relationship between the sister's, as well as that of Beth and the drivers, lends to a heart-warming story that is t More...
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Dec 02, 2008
Antof9
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I remember reading an excerpt from this years ago -- in Reader's Digest, or some other magazine, maybe? Or maybe even the newspaper article she talks about in the beginning, I don't know.
Anyway, it's beautifully written, and an interesting choice of style, to alternate chapters with one in the present and one from childhood. I mostly liked it, but it was a little bit distracting as I was getting into the story.
There were many parts I liked and wanted to remember, so I m More...
Anyway, it's beautifully written, and an interesting choice of style, to alternate chapters with one in the present and one from childhood. I mostly liked it, but it was a little bit distracting as I was getting into the story.
There were many parts I liked and wanted to remember, so I m More...
Sep 27, 2011
Anna
rated it:
I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I was a afraid it would be trite. I did get a little bit tired of the narratives about the drivers. What I liked the most were the sections on the family history. I found it really moving how she quietly told the story.
"At boarding school, I sit late at night on friends' beanbag chairs, discussing my most feard scenarios about Beth's fate, keepinmg my listeners awake until they exile me to my room. I have no idea what is More...
"At boarding school, I sit late at night on friends' beanbag chairs, discussing my most feard scenarios about Beth's fate, keepinmg my listeners awake until they exile me to my room. I have no idea what is More...
Sep 05, 2011
Cynthia
rated it:
We who grow up with family members with mental retardation have a blindspot like Rachel Simon. We think we "know" what MR is -- we live with it every day! But as Rachel discovers at the end of her journey, MR is a catchall term for the many things that can go wrong in a person's brain and development. And each person who is diagnosed with MR is still an individual with different abilities -- some skills stronger than others -- despite the label that lumps them altogether.
I More...
I More...
Apr 24, 2011
Candy
rated it:
I love the premise of this book, but I was a little fearful of how the author was going to carry this off. I find it's sometimes hard to write/read a memoir that centers around someone other than the author directly. I've honestly rarely seen it done very well. Ms. Simon pulled it off in spades.
The interesting thing for me is that I went into this expecting a quirky book about her travels around (and around) a city with her mentally disabled sister. I expected laughs and a few tears. W More...
The interesting thing for me is that I went into this expecting a quirky book about her travels around (and around) a city with her mentally disabled sister. I expected laughs and a few tears. W More...
Sep 17, 2011
Pamelabyoung
rated it:
Wow! I have always loved autobiographies and non-fiction, but this book stunned me with literary elegance, flowing story arc and beautiful writing that knit together a true story of family, dysfunction and ultimately, understanding. The writer has a sister with Mental Retardation who is eleven months younger. The story of their family life is told in flashbacks as the two sisters find each other while riding public bus transportation together, something that has become the life "mission"
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Jun 23, 2011
Marsha
rated it: 
Rachel is a writer and having closed the door on her relationship with her former boyfriend Sam, she took up her sister Beth’s offer to join her on her journey.
Beth likes to ride the city buses in her town in Pennsylvania. She lives alone in a subsidized and has a mentally retarded boyfriend Jesse. She has no job and no real responsibility. She receives public assistance so to pass her time she enjoys riding the public buses.
On the buses, Rachel would observe Beth an More...
Beth likes to ride the city buses in her town in Pennsylvania. She lives alone in a subsidized and has a mentally retarded boyfriend Jesse. She has no job and no real responsibility. She receives public assistance so to pass her time she enjoys riding the public buses.
On the buses, Rachel would observe Beth an More...
Jan 28, 2012
Nancy
rated it:
I have had this book on my shelf for years and somehow it even survived the culling of books that happened when we moved. Now I know why. I was meant to read this book. If I could give it six/seven/ten stars I would. It is full of life and difficulty and warmth and love and courage--all found in the most unexpected places. I am noticing that about life. When I take off the blinders of my judgment, I find amazing things before me. The author also touched me because she is very honest about
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Nov 10, 2011
Cristine
rated it:
The story of sisters, one with mental retardation and the other a workaholic with her own issues. Rachel's sister is a handful and she's decided to spend a year sharing her sister's obsession, riding the bus. We learn about their family dynamic, the daily challenges of mental retardation and the philosophy of bus drivers.
There is a level of honesty in this book that is refreshing, with the guilt, frustrations and joys of dealing with someone that does not fit all the societal norm More...
There is a level of honesty in this book that is refreshing, with the guilt, frustrations and joys of dealing with someone that does not fit all the societal norm More...
Sep 08, 2011
Nelly
rated it: 
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Oh, what... huh?? I got to page 88 and I'm done with this thing. Boooooooooring. I guess I'm just not a fan of feel-good true stories that teach me lessons about life. After the 3rd (or so) bus driver gave his uninterrupted, full-page monologue about the life lessons he's learned and that he's passing on to Rachel Simon, I decided enough's enough. Somehow I have trouble believing that this is exactly how things happened. And I think I'm done learning lessons. 1)Be
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Dec 17, 2011
Alexine
rated it:
For a book I found in a box of free books in West Philadelphia (another reason why I love my neighborhood), it was pretty good. I heard an interview with the author on NPR and thought she was smart and insightful. The interviewer (Marty Moss-Coane, I think) alluded to an unexpected ending that was, based on the interview and the drive for romantic closure in so many books by women my age, completely expected. I bet you can guess what it was.
That part was annoying because it felt tacke More...
That part was annoying because it felt tacke More...
Dec 13, 2011
Sue
rated it:
Interesting memoir of a woman growing up with a sister with intellectual disabilities. The author's sister lives independently with the help of case workers and support from Social Security. While the author loves her sister the story tells of dysfunctional family background and the author's struggles to understand her sister. For a person without these disabilities it becomes a fine line between letting your sibling live her life the way she wants and trying to do what is best for her health, w
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Nov 27, 2011
Theresa
rated it:
Non-fiction story of the author's one year commitment to ride the bus with her sister. Her sister, although mentally challenged, lived independently, and spent nearly every day riding the public transportation system in Philadelphia. There was no destination – she rode just to talk with the drivers. She became friends with many of the bus drivers, and they became her substitute family. She asked her sister, a successful author, to accompany her and learn about her life. I found much of the d
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Apr 23, 2010
Natalie
rated it:
Wow! What an incredible book and inspiring true story. I am so thankful that the author was willing to open up this glimpse of herself and the year she shared on the bus with her sister, Beth. Beth is mentally handicapped and marches to the beat of her own drum. Rachel, her older sister and the author, has returned to make peace with her sister after a long falling out, and in the face of struggles in her own life. Throughout the chapters of the lessons learned during the bus rides, Rachel
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Nov 23, 2010
Tom
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Rachel Simon reluctantly agrees to her sister's request to ride the buses with her for one year. Rachel's sister, Beth, is mildly mentally retarded, but has learned to navigate her city's buses, finding interesting, sympathetic, and/or wise ("cool") bus drivers along the way. Rachel agrees partly out of guilt, partly out of interest in her sister's life and partly because, deep down, she knows her current lifestyle and schedule is making her life miserable.
Rachel's writing More...
Rachel's writing More...
Dec 17, 2009
Holly
rated it: 
I'm sure the story was heartfelt but I couldn't get into this. I was bored. The writing was very basic and parts of the story were cute but I never finished it and I thought it was predictable.
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Jan 12, 2009
bookczuk
rated it:
The first part of this really grabbed my attention. An interesting story, but, like Rachel, i found myself frustrated at times with Beth. The interplay of the present day story with the family background was interesting, though it did get painful as the family's disfunction came to the fore. As the book wore on, it became more of a catharsis for RAchel to work out her feelings about life, her relationship with Sam and her feelings about Beth. I imagine the original article that prompted the book
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Feb 27, 2010
Marvel
rated it:
I enjoyed reading this autobiographical tale about a sister who is a writer by profession who decides to spend more time with her mentally retarded sister. They are both adults - one being just 11 months older than the other. The menatlly retarded sister lives on her own with the aid of a few social workers and case workers who meet with her periodically to assess her needs and situation to be sure she is safe and doing alright. Her days are spent riding the city buses in the PA city where sh
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Jun 28, 2010
Amy
rated it:
This book started slow for me, but it grew on my over time. It's the story of Rachel and her sister who has mental retardation. Her sister spends her days riding the public buses in a Pennsylvania city which is unnamed in order to protect her sister's identity. Rachel decides to ride the buses with her sister to get closer to her sister as well as to get closer to herself. Rachel philosophizes with the bus drivers and with herself as she seeks understanding with what makes someone a good per
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Aug 19, 2009
Joanne
rated it:
A story about 2 sisters: one the author of the book & the other her mildly retarded sister. Beth, the disabled sister, lives independently & is able to make most of her own life decisions, although those decisions are not always what her family would choose for her. Instead of working at a menial job, Beth rides city buses all day, interacting with the bus drivers. Rachel is very busy at avoiding personal relationships, using work as her excuse. When Rachel decides to narrow the gulf between B
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May 28, 2011
Nicky
rated it:
A thoughtful reflective book about a woman and her sister as they journey through a year to rediscover each other as adults. Invaluable in drawing a comparatively complete picture of an adult living successfully and independently with mild mental retardation. The book does not seek to wrap everything up with major revelations and solve each ones' problems in a year, but rather shows that each woman makes progress in their own life journeys. Also, some interesting thoughts are shared about the
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Mar 02, 2010
Leanne
rated it:
Although it was a nice story, this book was a disappointment. I didn't feel emotionally attached to the characters, and the writing felt sort of flat. And while I'm sure for the sake of the book, the author didn't write about the hours and hours in which nothing profound was said by the bus drivers, it just seemed odd and unrealistic that the drivers would be so philosophical and spiritual and stuff every time they opened their mouths. It was quite predictible, too, and I was quite bored half
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Nov 27, 2009
Marieke
rated it:
I want to give this book 3.5 stars...it's not quite a 4 for me, but it is affecting me, and i suspect will continue to affect me, much more than a 3-star book would. I glanced at a few strangers' reviews...and I think the only thing I can say is that only people with someone like Beth in their families will really understand the range of emotions Rachel conveyed. I often felt something very heavy while reading this book...my own fears about the future of people I love confirmed through Rachel's
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Oct 10, 2011
Joanmom
rated it:
The true story of a writer who accompanies her sister Beth, who has mental retardation (their words), as she spends her days riding city buses. Not everyone likes Beth - she is loud, self-absorbed, and not just stubborn but contrarian. I don't think I would have the patience needed to spend so much time with a person like that. But many of the bus drivers have that patience and take an interest in her. I think many of the lessons learned from this book were more from the bus drivers as they shar
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Sep 28, 2011
Megan
rated it:
I found both the author and her sister hard to like. I disagreed with the social workers’ position of going along with whatever the client wants. And so many enlightened bus drivers! (I rode the bus on and off for two years in Kansas City and while I met lots of characters, I can’t think of one single driver who imparted any snippets profound wisdom on our route.) That said, the book does provide lots to think about – how we tolerate people who are different, the value of all people, our per
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Oct 16, 2010
Sue
rated it:
While others have read this and commented on the pros and cons of the book's depiction of life for a person with mental retardation - I vacuumed it into my brain as a memoir. I will admit I had to read the flashback story pieces in their entirety once they got to a climactic point. I don't think it ruined anything about the book for me by doing that, but I can definitely see why the author chose to lay the book out in such a fashion.
I would like to rent the TV version (which Rosie O'Donnel More...
I would like to rent the TV version (which Rosie O'Donnel More...
May 02, 2009
Stephy
rated it:
This was a good book.
A little hard to get through as it does drag on a bit.
This is what the book says
Beth is a spirited woman with mental retardation, who spends nearly every day riding the buses in Philadelphia. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. When Beth asks her sister Rachel to accompany her on the buses for one year, they take a transcendent journey together that changes Rachel's life in incredible ways and leads her to More...
A little hard to get through as it does drag on a bit.
This is what the book says
Beth is a spirited woman with mental retardation, who spends nearly every day riding the buses in Philadelphia. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. When Beth asks her sister Rachel to accompany her on the buses for one year, they take a transcendent journey together that changes Rachel's life in incredible ways and leads her to More...
Dec 30, 2009
Laura
rated it:
Beth is a spirited woman with mental retardation, who spends nearly every day riding the buses in Philadelphia. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. When Beth asks her sister Rachel to accompany her on the buses for one year, they take a transcendent journey together that changes Rachel's life in incredible ways and leads her to accept her sister at long last-teaching her to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Full of life lessons from whic More...
Full of life lessons from whic More...
Aug 23, 2010
Erin
rated it:
This is a very heart-warming true story about two very different sisters finding how to relate to one another, and the world in general. Rachel is 11 months older than her sister, Beth. They are both middle aged now and have grown apart over the years which has been helped along by Beth's developmental disbality. The family frets that Beth refuses to hold down a menial job and instead spends all her time riding the buses around a small town in Pennsylvania. Rachel decides to shadow her siste
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Jun 22, 2010
Kristi
rated it:
The author (Rachel) shares her frustrations and joys of having a sister with mental retardation (Beth). Beth spends her days riding the city buses somewhere in Philadelphia interacting with the bus drivers and some passengers. Beth asks Rachel to join her and the life journey begins. Through these biweekly journeys Rachel begins to understand her sister and life in general. I respect Rachel’s honesty and frankness. She isn’t afraid to share her embarrassment or even her hateful feelings for
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