Barry's Sister - Hardcover

Metzger, Lois

4.4

5 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068931521X ISBN 13: 9780689315213

Publisher: Atheneum, 1992

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Ellen is horrified when her mother gives birth to a baby with cerebral palsy, but she soon develops an unyielding love for her brother and thinks of herself as his special guardian.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7-- Ellen Gray is 12 when her mother announces that she is pregnant. Her father, a naval officer, is seldom home, and her anger at him spills over onto the expected baby; she asks God to ``make something happen so that the baby will disappear.'' When the infant is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, she is sure she is being punished. Her guilt leads her to ignore him, but after seeing that her grandmother blames Ellen's mother for Barry's disability and avoids him, Ellen becomes fiercely protective toward her brother. It takes time, patience, and loving friends before Ellen and her parents resume their rightful roles in the family. Metzger has woven what is almost an allegory on families of children born with physical disabilities. All of the elements are here: the pity, shunning, and mockery displayed by those whose lives have been touched by disability; the isolation; the conflicting emotions; and the relief at finding others who share their problems. What is particularly impressive about this book, however, is that they are all included in an effortless and natural way. Mrs. Gray's realization that Ellen has become obsessed with caring for Barry comes abruptly and without explanation, but that is a minor flaw in what is, first and foremost, a well-written coming-of age novel. Ellen is struggling with her image of herself as a worthwhile human being; with her ambivalent feelings toward her father; and with her inability to like or respect her grandmother and aunt. She is a character that readers will take to their hearts, because her growing pains are universal. --Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC-
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Ellen's euphoric start in seventh grade ends abruptly when she learns that her mother is pregnant--``I think Ellen's got a touch of sibling rivalry fever,'' her father says of her unenthusiastic response to the news. After baby brother Barry is diagnosed as having cerebral palsy, Ellen's burden of anger and guilt culminates in shoplifting and illness. With the help of her mother's new friend Maribeth, mother of a teenager with CP, they learn to cope with Barry's needs and their own feelings. Freedom from guilt opens Ellen's heart; she becomes totally absorbed with Barry, even fighting her father's attempts to care for him. Stressed when he regresses after Dad returns to sea duty, Ellen accidentally overmedicates Barry and her mother severely restricts her involvement in his care, insisting they share activities without him. Gradually, Ellen does develop her own life, complete with best friend, potential boyfriend, and a new closeness to her father, now home for two years. Metzger has a vivid and incisive narrative style, but this ambitious first novel is too long, too full, and not always credible, while overly intent messages distance the reader. Nonetheless, the focus on Ellen and her struggles with the complexities of growing up, sorting out her identity, and establishing her place in a family in crisis does result in a story with appeal for patient readers. (Fiction. 10+) -- Copyright �1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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