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A Little Life,
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Kim
I think the author states at one point that the actual damage was to Jude's spine, and the pain in his legs and the sores are a result of peripheral nerve damage. Neuropathy (such as that which results in the loss of limbs in diabetics) can cause sores that do not heal.
Maddy
I thought that the scarring on his back came from when he was beaten at the home, after trying to escape his first time, because he was whipped so badly that he had to be hospitalized.
Leah
I wondered about this too. I felt like the author was pretty generous in terms of providing us answers to our burning questions, but she never really went into detail about Jude's legs. I guess I assumed that the had something to do with being hit by the car (seeing he talks about that being the last time he ran) but the sores were very confusing to me.
Eric Brotto
On page 668 (on the version with the building on the cover), when Alex introduces Jude to the new doctor Linus, they refer to Jude having osetomyelitis.
Beau
The scars on his back are from the monastery where he was whipped with a leather belt soaked in vinegar.
Reader
It was Dr Taylor. After Jude tried to scape from him and was found he put Jude to run while he was following him with his car. Jude got exhausted and started not to run but to walk and them to fall and crawl. Dr Taylor said if he fall again it would be the last time. Then Jude falls as henwas exhausted and Dr Taylor run over him with his car
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