Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood at FDR's Polio Haven by Susan Richards Shreve
This is an absolutely wonderful memoir. It's hard to imagine leaving my children on their own for two years at a combination medical facility/camp, as Shreve was left by her parents, but polio forced some hard choices.
She writes with a very moving and honest style. Surprisingly there is a lot happening in these two years to the point where I was anxious to find out what happened. I'm sure part of writing the book was to explore actions for which she must feel guilty. Reading about or thinking about children doing things that have terrible consequences for other people is both fascinating and horrible all at the same time, because I can desperately wish they didn't make that decision or mistake and at the same time realize they were young and didn't have the experience to look ahead in the way an adult can. Is it just part of growing up but most of us are lucky enough to not do anything for which we need to feel responsible? I don't know, but Shreve writes about her own experiences in a way that is very compelling.
In some ways, this book reminds me of Prep, which is fiction, but also deals with a young girl living in a world of children and only a few adults. Both are excellent explorations of that cusp between childhood and adulthood. I recommend this book to everyone.
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