Reviews

Kirkus: "Rachel's reflections on her own life are interspersed with memories of a far-from ideal childhood... The...disparate narratives come together quite well and leave the reader cheering..."
Publisher's Weekly: "Perceptive, uplifting...unforgettable... Rachel comes to a new appreciation of her [sister], and it is a pleasure for readers to share in the discovery."

Long Island Newsday: "Richly layered memoir… [with] keen insights, humor, and evocative storytelling…lyrically drawn…[It’s] a graduate course in how to slow down and enjoy the ride."

PW Daily: "Most people have 'defining moments' in their lives — an experience or event that changes one's entire perspective…Such is the case with Rachel Simon."

Read the review in St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Please note that this article is copyrighted 2002 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and is used here with permission.

"This is an amazing book, a beautiful story of the ties that bind. Two sisters, as different as they come, find the magic in each other's lives. This book touched my soul."
Rosie O'Donnell

"This wonderful book is so brave, so insightful, so poignant and true that I found myself reading more slowly so that the ride would last longer. This special story — about sisters, about the difficulties of mental retardation, about trying to be decent under trying circumstances — reminds us all to consider how we live."
Sophy Burnham, author of A Book Of Angels

"It is no accident that Rachel Simon's mentally retarded sister, Beth, chooses as her obsession riding the bus through her Pennsylvania city. The bus isn't just a way to get from here to there: It's a fluid, dynamic universe, a theater, a club on wheels. It is life with exhaust. With tenderness and fury, heartbreak and acceptance, Simon comes face to face with her own limited life in the mirror of her sister's limitations. In the season she takes to ride the bus with her sister, Simon comes to the inescapable conclusion that we are all riders on the bus, and on the bus we are all the same."
Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

"This is a poignant, honest and uplifting memoir about accepting the dysfunctional family you've been given, instead of the storybook family you wished you had. Anyone who's grown up with a mentally challenged sibling will appreciate Simon's struggle to develop a loving relationship with her feisty but difficult sister. What makes this book so wonderful is the unexpected path that Simon's journey takes. In the process of exploring her sister's offbeat world, she actually discovers rich, untapped parts of herself. At the end, I was moved to tears."
Carol Saline, co-author of Sisters, Mothers & Daughters and Best Friends

"Riding The Bus With My Sister will change the way you look at the world. After reading the book, you'll find that the differences among us are not so profound after all. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Steven M. Eidelman, Executive Director of The Arc of the United States

"This exquisitely written, powerfully observed memoir deserves an enormous readership. In its passion and insights into a unique world, Riding The Bus With My Sister is equal to Helen Keller's classic The Story Of My Life."
Dorothy Herrmann, author of Helen Keller: A Life

"Rachel Simon has written a beautiful book, one that shows how our lives are formed and reformed by the commitments--be they simple or all-consuming--that we make to one another. Like the best writers, she captivates us with the story of her life, and her sister's, and leaves us pondering our own. Take this ride--you won't regret it!"
Kathleen Finneran, author of The Tender Land

"Funny and poignant, Rachel Simon's Riding The Bus With My Sister nails sibling issues and reads like a novel. This is one bus you won't want to miss."
Don Meyer, Director of The Sibling Support Project

"Riding The Bus With My Sister pulls at the heart without being a sob story. Rachel Simon is a gifted writer who has described her experience in the often uncomfortable role of sibling to a person with mental retardation."
Ginny Thornburgh, Director, Religion and Disability Program
at The National Organization on Disability

	Rachel Simon Author of Riding The Bus With My Sister
Read An Excerpt Reviews and Quotes Book News Buy the Book Now About the Author Author Appearances The Cool Beth Express Tips on Writing Rachel's Fiction Links Contact Information Home	Reviews and Quotes Kirkus: "Rachel's reflections on her own life are interspersed with memories of a far-from ideal childhood... The...disparate narratives come together quite well and leave the reader cheering..." Publisher's Weekly: "Perceptive, uplifting...unforgettable... Rachel comes to a new appreciation of her [sister], and it is a pleasure for readers to share in the discovery." (Read the full reviews.) Long Island Newsday: "Richly layered memoir… [with] keen insights, humor, and evocative storytelling…lyrically drawn…[It’s] a graduate course in how to slow down and enjoy the ride." PW Daily: "Most people have 'defining moments' in their lives — an experience or event that changes one's entire perspective…Such is the case with Rachel Simon." Read the review in the Princeton Packet. Read the review in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Read the review in the Rocky Mountain News. Read the review in St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Please note that this article is copyrighted 2002 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and is used here with permission. Read the review on www.iCan.com and read the interview with Rachel about her sister Beth. "Your book is fabulous--it is love." Jacob, Beth's bus driver "This is an amazing book, a beautiful story of the ties that bind. Two sisters, as different as they come, find the magic in each other's lives. This book touched my soul." Rosie O'Donnell "This wonderful book is so brave, so insightful, so poignant and true that I found myself reading more slowly so that the ride would last longer. This special story — about sisters, about the difficulties of mental retardation, about trying to be decent under trying circumstances — reminds us all to consider how we live." Sophy Burnham, author of A Book Of Angels "It is no accident that Rachel Simon's mentally retarded sister, Beth, chooses as her obsession riding the bus through her Pennsylvania city. The bus isn't just a way to get from here to there: It's a fluid, dynamic universe, a theater, a club on wheels. It is life with exhaust. With tenderness and fury, heartbreak and acceptance, Simon comes face to face with her own limited life in the mirror of her sister's limitations. In the season she takes to ride the bus with her sister, Simon comes to the inescapable conclusion that we are all riders on the bus, and on the bus we are all the same." Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean "This is a poignant, honest and uplifting memoir about accepting the dysfunctional family you've been given, instead of the storybook family you wished you had. Anyone who's grown up with a mentally challenged sibling will appreciate Simon's struggle to develop a loving relationship with her feisty but difficult sister. What makes this book so wonderful is the unexpected path that Simon's journey takes. In the process of exploring her sister's offbeat world, she actually discovers rich, untapped parts of herself. At the end, I was moved to tears." Carol Saline, co-author of Sisters, Mothers & Daughters and Best Friends "Riding The Bus With My Sister will change the way you look at the world. After reading the book, you'll find that the differences among us are not so profound after all. I thoroughly enjoyed it." Steven M. Eidelman, Executive Director of The Arc of the United States "This exquisitely written, powerfully observed memoir deserves an enormous readership. In its passion and insights into a unique world, Riding The Bus With My Sister is equal to Helen Keller's classic The Story Of My Life." Dorothy Herrmann, author of Helen Keller: A Life "Rachel Simon has written a beautiful book, one that shows how our lives are formed and reformed by the commitments--be they simple or all-consuming--that we make to one another. Like the best writers, she captivates us with the story of her life, and her sister's, and leaves us pondering our own. Take this ride--you won't regret it!" Kathleen Finneran, author of The Tender Land *"Funny and poignant, Rachel Simon's Riding The Bus With My Sister* nails sibling issues and reads like a novel. This is one bus you won't want to miss."** Don Meyer, Director of The Sibling Support Project "Riding The Bus With My Sister pulls at the heart without being a sob story. Rachel Simon is a gifted writer who has described her experience in the often uncomfortable role of sibling to a person with mental retardation." Ginny Thornburgh, Director, Religion and Disability Program at The National Organization on Disability
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Read AnExcerpt Reviewsand Quotes Book News Buy theBook Now About theAuthor Author Appearances The CoolBeth Express Tips onWriting Rachel'sFiction Links ContactInformation Home

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