My Left Foot

♦ SOCIAL SENSITIVITY ♦

This book is a wonderful presentation of life as a differently-abled person, from Brown's own perspective. As a young child, though frustrated by his inability to communicate or control his movements, he was almost unaware of the extent of his differences until his go-car broke down and he could not go out with his brothers for some weeks. As a teenager, Brown felt the frustration and depression that is common among many adolescents, though usually for far less cause. It took becoming part of a community of other people besides his loving family, and of disabled people in particular, for Brown to realize his own nature. Not only did he see his flaws and strengths more accurately on an absolute scale of suffering, he also was more able to evaluate them in comparison with other people.

The incoherent frustration that constrained him is described eloquently and usually in simple and straightforward terms. It will be well understood by any young reader who has envied athletes their strengths or celebrities their graces. It will inspire in most readers slinking embarrassment at their own personal grumpiness.

Brown does not mention in this book how disabling frustration or depression can be for an able-bodied person, that perspective can be sought in other books. My Left Foot is the story of a child and adolescent, told from the perspective of a very young man. Young readers can take a lesson from Brown to "look at other people, but get on with doing your own best"�the best advice for all of us, no matter what our abilities.

Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.