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78th out of 220 books
—
132 voters
Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey
by
Rachel Simon (Goodreads Author)
Rachel Simon's sister Beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and often joyfully, despite her intellectual disability. Beth spends her days riding the buses in her Pennsylvania city. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. One day, Beth asked Rachel to accompany her on the buses for an entire year; the book is the chronic...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 26th 2003
by Plume
(first published August 26th 2002)
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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 happening- there...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 happening- there...more
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 truthful and does not alwa...more
The relationship between the sister's, as well as that of Beth and the drivers, lends to a heart-warming story that is truthful and does not alwa...more
4 likes · like · see review
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 marked them. Let's see if I...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 marked them. Let's see if I...more
There are three plot lines in this memoir - (1) the life of the sister with mental retardation who rides the buses (2) the life of the author who is finding herself and (3) the backstory of the family and the two other siblings. The book does a nice job intertwining all three together into a neat little package. I never developed any affinity for either the author or her sister because Simon was so intent on preserving privacy that she left out a lot of the details that would have made me care....more
This book was an insightful look into the real lives of Rachel and Beth. Beth has mild mental retardation, and this is the story of the lives of these two sisters, from childhood to adulthood. This book shatters stereotypes of people with mental retardation by helping the reader get to know Beth, a spunky, confident woman whose sense of justice shines through in her words and actions. This book also explores the real emotional challenges that people with relatives with cognitive disabilities exp...more
"Mentally retarded." Words we said about my sister, but never said to her.
As children it hadn't mattered to Rachel Simon that there was "something wrong" with her sister Beth. Beth was only eleven months younger and they were good playmates. But over the next two decades their lives went very different ways. Rachel was shamed and embarrassed at school where other children laughed and mocked the "retards," which led her to a sense of separateness and difference, even resentment. Then their father...more
As children it hadn't mattered to Rachel Simon that there was "something wrong" with her sister Beth. Beth was only eleven months younger and they were good playmates. But over the next two decades their lives went very different ways. Rachel was shamed and embarrassed at school where other children laughed and mocked the "retards," which led her to a sense of separateness and difference, even resentment. Then their father...more
This memoir follows a year in the life of the author as she attempts to reconnect with her developmentally delayed sister, who spends nearly every waking moment riding public transportation and seeing life through the eyes of the bus drivers. The book splits into sections, with a modern day chapter followed by a look to the past describing the sisters' childhoods. Each of these flashback sections is told in the voice of her age at the time, so the earliest ones are told from a child's perspectiv...more
I read this book quite awhile ago now, but from what I can remember I liked it a lot. I liked the characters. I appreciated that they were complicated--the way people are. I liked the conflicting emotions the older sister has towards her special needs sister, and how she learns to respect her in spite of some of the frustrations that come with that challenge. I thought this book was incredibly real and spoke to the heart. It touched me. I recently read "Jewel," another novel about a similar topi...more
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 regret not reading thi...more
I regret not reading thi...more
2 likes · like · see review
This is an anniversary edition with new content. (There's an essay from Beth and some "Where Are They Now?" material, for example, as well as resources and more information.)
This is one of those books that I had always meant to read, and I was very happy that Hachette allowed me to read this for review. :)
I admire Rachel Simon so much for writing this book, because she's very up front about her feelings and the fact that she's not always a good sister to Beth. (To be fair, I think she's a better...more
This is one of those books that I had always meant to read, and I was very happy that Hachette allowed me to read this for review. :)
I admire Rachel Simon so much for writing this book, because she's very up front about her feelings and the fact that she's not always a good sister to Beth. (To be fair, I think she's a better...more
Sappy, but good. It's hard to believe that it is all so perfectly true; some of the bus drivers are just a bit too much overdone...they seem to be caricatures of people, rather than real people, but overall it was entertaining, enlightening, and a fun and easy read. I worked with developmentally disabled (as we were taught to call them) people for a summer in grad school and can certainly relate to the impatience that Rachel feels and her "dark inner voice." Of course, I also feel that way when...more
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. What I didn...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. What I didn...more
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" of the...more
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 and her nonstop chatting (usua...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 and her nonstop chatting (usua...more
I'd give this 2.5 stars. I didn't think it was a great read, but it did have some interesting lessons and people in it that really made you think. Essentially, this is a memoir. Rachel Simon's sister, Beth, is a woman with mental retardation who spends her days riding city buses. While the family thinks Beth is simply wasting her time and life, as Rachel rides with her one day every 2 weeks or so for an entire year, she learns that in riding the buses Beth has found a community of friends and te...more
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 how di...more
This is truly an excellent read, particularly for anyone interested in persons with intellectual disabilities. This is a non-fiction account of two adults, one with mental retardation and her well-educated sister, who agrees to do what Beth, the intellectually challenged sibling, does all day long...rides the busses and gets to know the drivers. Rachel write about her compassion for her sister, her frustration with her sister's unwillingness to change, to work, to join a group or to 'inprove' he...more
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 norms. My long-ter...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 norms. My long-ter...more
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 nice. 2...more
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 tacked on. It m...more
That part was annoying because it felt tacked on. It m...more
A great memoir documenting a year in the author's life as she tags along with her sister. Beth, the sister, is a mentally handicapped adult who is functioning enough to live on her own and be employed. However, instead of holding a job, Beth prefers to ride the city buses all day, learning all of the routes and schedules, and befriending drivers and passengers. Simon finds her life changed as she travels in circles with her sister. There are some really heartfelt emotional scenes that will open...more
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...more
This was another quick read, a charming, honest look at a relationship between 2 sisters, and the ways in which we can learn from everyone if we open our eyes.
The book was well written and enjoyable, one of those Chicken Soup for the Soul type reads. It was a bit predictable but still a pleasant way to pass the time.
It isn't nice to say it, especially about a memoir that is bearing someone's soul and airing their life's dirty laundry (albeit for good and generous reasons) but I felt really bad...more
The book was well written and enjoyable, one of those Chicken Soup for the Soul type reads. It was a bit predictable but still a pleasant way to pass the time.
It isn't nice to say it, especially about a memoir that is bearing someone's soul and airing their life's dirty laundry (albeit for good and generous reasons) but I felt really bad...more
Simon grew up in a troubled family with a developmentally disabled daughter, a fact that no one in her family seemed to want to talk about or address. Fast forward 39 years and her sister now lives alone in an apartment and spends her days riding the buses in her town. She's memorized the schedules of her favorite riders, figures out the best routes each day that will get her on the bus with those drivers at the least busy times so she can hang out with them, and has created her own social netwo...more
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 dialo...more
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 also...more
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 is wonderful. Starkly...more
Rachel's writing is wonderful. Starkly...more
Aug 21, 2007
Holly
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
junior high and high school students and Special Education teachers
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.
I was quite moved by parts of this book/memoir. The author showed a lot of courage and guts in processing not only what she saw unfold before her eyes during the year spent riding the bus with her sister, but also, the story of her own life, which although inextricably linked with her sister, included challenges that predated the birth of her sister.
I appreciated the honesty and insights that spilled forth from the pages...it is a gift to be able to begin to understand what it is like to have a...more
I appreciated the honesty and insights that spilled forth from the pages...it is a gift to be able to begin to understand what it is like to have a...more
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...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Public Library: July 23, 6:30 PM | 2 | 10 | Jul 24, 2012 10:23am | |
| yes! | 4 | 29 | May 10, 2012 08:34am |
Rachel Simon is the author of six books.
The Story of Beautiful Girl
The House On Teacher's Lane
Riding The Bus With My Sister
The Writer's Survival Guide
The Magic Touch
Little Nightmares Little Dreams
In 2005, Hallmark Hall of Fame adapted Riding The Bus With My Sister for a film by the same name. It starred Rosie O'Donnell as Rachel's sister Beth and Andie MacDowell as Rachel, and it was directed by A...more
More about Rachel Simon...
The Story of Beautiful Girl
The House On Teacher's Lane
Riding The Bus With My Sister
The Writer's Survival Guide
The Magic Touch
Little Nightmares Little Dreams
In 2005, Hallmark Hall of Fame adapted Riding The Bus With My Sister for a film by the same name. It starred Rosie O'Donnell as Rachel's sister Beth and Andie MacDowell as Rachel, and it was directed by A...more
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“Happiness, I have grasped, is a destination, like strawberry Fields. Once you find the way in, there you are, and you'll never feel low again.”
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“Then," he says, "as my mind got functioning, everything was just beautiful. There was no right or wrong feeling, no social pressure. I believe that's what heaven's going to be like..."
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I'd like to borrow it when you are through.
Nov 07, 2007 11:24am