Accidents of Nature

This witty, sometimes angry coming-of-age story shines a unique light on the world of the handicapped. It's 1970, and 17-year-old Jean, who has cerebral palsy, is spending 10 days at Camp Courage, the "crip camp" where she has her first close encounters with other disabled people. It's an eye-opening experience, which Johnson, wheelchair-bound herself, writes about with an honesty and insight that "norms" can't imitate. Jenna Lamia brings every character alive, employing her wide range of verbal skills to re-create Jean's halting, garbled speech; the sharp, intelligent cynicism of protagonist Sara; and the well-meaning but condescending concern of the counselors. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine


This witty, sometimes angry coming-of-age story shines a unique light on the world of the handicapped. It's 1970, and 17-year-old Jean, who has cerebral palsy, is spending 10 days at Camp Courage, the "crip camp" where she has her first close encounters with other disabled people. It's an eye-opening experience, which Johnson, wheelchair-bound herself, writes about with an honesty and insight that "norms" can't imitate. Jenna Lamia brings every character alive, employing her wide range of verbal skills to re-create Jean's halting, garbled speech; the sharp, intelligent cynicism of protagonist Sara; and the well-meaning but condescending concern of the counselors. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 10, 2006
Through the eyes of 17-year-old wheelchair-bound Jean, readers of this wry, at times searing debut novel gain access to an intimate world that few Norms (what Jean calls fully functioning people) ever see. Her family has always treated Jean as a "normal" child; her 10-day stay at Camp Courage is her first time away from them. Johnson, like her heroine, is confined to a wheelchair (due to a neuromuscular disease), and possesses a rare gift for writing in the present tense: readers will feel as if they are experiencing Jean's many small discoveries right along with her. Each chapter covers a day at camp, and Jean's world view begins to shift on day one, when she meets Sara (also wheelchair-bound), a veteran camper. A straight shooter, Sara nicknames Jean "Spazzo," and exposes the insidious ways in which the Norms condescend to the Crips. Taking stock of the cabin they share, Sara says, "It looks like we've got about the right mix—three wheelchairs, a one-leg amputee, two MR's , and two walkie-talkies." When Jean asks Sara why she comes to camp, she replies, "I need to be with my people. The Crip Nation." In one of the novel's many revelatory scenes, Jean describes swimming with the other campers: "I count it a rare privilege to see them all without their coverings, their equipment, their attachments, their replacement parts, as they really are, in all their strange variety." Readers, too, will find this journey with Jean a rare privilege, as she rethinks her place in the world. Ages 12-up.

Starred review from August 21, 2006
A major benefit to the audio rendition of Johnson's poignant coming-of-age novel is experiencing the discrepancy between the palsied speech of disabled protagonist Jean and her eloquent inner thoughts. Lamia does an admirable job of capturing Jean's strained, halting cadences. And when inside the 17-year-old's free-flowing mind, Lamia's naturally youthful voice is imbued with the right amount of wonder, skepticism and self-doubt—a powerful reminder that disability is no indicator of intelligence or heart. Set in a 1970s summer camp for the disabled in North Carolina, Johnson's tale centers around Jean's relationship with feisty fellow camper Sarah, who is intent on opening Jean's eyes to the treatment of "crips" in the world. Lamia handles all accents, ages and genders with ease, even pulling off a male camper doing a Nixon impersonation. This audiobook should engage adults and adolescents alike, offering a glimpse into a world from which people often avert their gaze. For kids, it should help demystify the lives of the disabled, from bathroom rituals to sexuality to professional aspirations—and in turn, bring into sharp relief their oft-marginalized status in society. Ages 12-up.