fionag11 reviewed Colours in Her Hands by Alice Zorn
Compelling story of a woman with Down Syndrome, an unusual talent, and a lot of secrets
5 stars
When Mina embroiders, its not silly flowers that people call "broidery" - that's why SHE calls it "knitting". She can feel the colours dance and throb and call out for her to pick them and stitch them into unusual shapes and patterns, while she tells them the fairy tales she remembers from her childhood.
Mina at 39, with her own apartment, boyfriend, and job, seems like a success story for a woman with Down Syndrome, but things are starting to fall apart. She seems to be losing the ability or initiative to do things she used to do for herself. Her job at the recycling plant that she is so proud of is about to become automated. She has an ongoing feud with a neighbour, and she's a chronic shoplifter. Her brother Bruno is devoted but years of dealing with Mina's needs, demands, and crises are telling on him …
When Mina embroiders, its not silly flowers that people call "broidery" - that's why SHE calls it "knitting". She can feel the colours dance and throb and call out for her to pick them and stitch them into unusual shapes and patterns, while she tells them the fairy tales she remembers from her childhood.
Mina at 39, with her own apartment, boyfriend, and job, seems like a success story for a woman with Down Syndrome, but things are starting to fall apart. She seems to be losing the ability or initiative to do things she used to do for herself. Her job at the recycling plant that she is so proud of is about to become automated. She has an ongoing feud with a neighbour, and she's a chronic shoplifter. Her brother Bruno is devoted but years of dealing with Mina's needs, demands, and crises are telling on him and his relationship with his longterm partner, who wants a child. Into this comes Iris, the only one who sees the high art in Mina's "knitting" hobby, and wants to get her pieces into a gallery, and make Mina an acclaimed artist. But she has to contend with Mina's secrecy and Bruno's protectiveness.
Very compelling story; I couldn't stop reading to see how things turned out for Mina, Bruno, Iris, and Gabriela. All good people, with blind spots like we all have, inspiring sympathy, frustration, and admiration.