Thursday, September 10, 2009

Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood at FDR's Polio Haven

Author: Susan Richards Shreve
Stars: 4
Review by: Jelsey

At age 11, the author goes to Warm Springs, the rehabilitation center established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for children who had residual effects from polio. She spent three years on and off getting various surgeries to compensate for her lost muscles. Her memoir is a fast-moving story, devoid of pity or sentimentality. She refused to be the perfect patient, and often caused mayhem while acting as a helper to the staff. Shreve is a novelist and a professor of English. I think young people will find this an amazing story about an epidemic disease they now receive a vaccine to prevent. Of course, it's a really good read for everyone.

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