Colours in Her Hands

What an incredible book, I was both rushing to read it AND putting it down deliberately because I felt so many -oftentimes conflicting, or taboo- emotions which I wished to analyse.

Mina is a 38 y/o woman with Down's syndrome. She lives independently and with her parents dead, her elder brother Bruno is her legal guardian - and conveniently only one phone call away to help her with whatever it is she's bothered with. And she's regularly bothered. Be it neighbours who're none too pleased with her residing in their apartment building, or the clock on the wall whose hands are unsettling her.

Mina doesn't do well with changes but her world is to be upended in many ways. Bruno and his girlfriend break up: Gabriela wants a child, and Bruno still does not -he has Mina to care for. Mina's job ceases to exist. Mina ends affairs with her latest boyfriend, but this one disagrees quite...disagreeably.
What does stay, is that Mina embroiders. Beautifully. Free style, autodidact. The colours talk to her and in turn Mina tells and retells her colours fairytales, the way Mina remembers them.
Insert Iris, a fashion designer, who has a chance encounter with Mina in a park, sees her work and appreciates it for the stunning art it is. She sees a bright future for Mina, for them both.

Alice Zorn writes with such clarity about such complex emotions, it is at times baffling, and unnerving. Bruno appears to be a restricting ass - but that's seen from Mina's eyes. Iris says she has the best intentions for Mina, but who knows (her situation) best? And then there's Mina - how much slack is one willing to give her? She bends the truth, is an experienced shoplifter...

Gosh, and I haven't even mentioned how clever Alice Zorn uses fairytales and modern dance.
Truly a beautiful and memorable book, I can't wait for it to hit the shelves so I can buy my friends copies for their birthdays.

I LOVED it.

I was hesitant to read this book, as I didn't want it to be a book filled with stereotypes of Down Syndrome. However, I felt better after reading the note from the publisher, stating that the author Zorn has a personal connection to Down Syndrome (her sister in law has it), and this book is based on their relationship.

I found this book to be very well done! It's warm and vibrant, but also quiet and thought provoking. I know that I'll want to reread this book once its out, so I can have a physical copy to reference. I am excited to see where this book goes!


Thanks to Freehand Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This story about the Corneaus was so unlike any I'd ever come across before; and I loved everything about it, even the bits that broke my heart. 35-yr old Bruno and 27-yr old Mina are brother and sister, their mother was Austrian, they live in Montreal, they are both single, she has Down Syndrome and though she lives independently, he is her appointed guarantor. Bruno creates props for a modern dance troupe, and Mina "knits" incessantly (it's actually embroidery, but that's what she calls it). She "knits" while watching tV on the couch all day, she "knits" the name of each of her exes and ritually mounts them on her wall, she "knits" and "knits" a wealth of work, "years and yeras of textile art, a body of work - an oeuvre" that Bruno's new girlfriend Iris manages to comandeer in secret, and this is the crux of the plot. That two people can be so good together on so many levels and yet not be transparent or forthcoming where it matters. That siblings can know each other so well and yet not know monumental things about one another... that duty and obligation can obscure love and admiration... that heartbreak can heal and that love can surprise... there were so many meaningful themes in this book, I hope it reaches the critical acclaim it deserves!

I always loved visiting my cousin Mayumi who had Down Syndrome, I could never get enough of her ever-childlike ways and enthusiasms. When it comes out in September I'm buying a copy of Colours in Her Hands for my friend Amanda, I hope she sees sparkly glimpses of her own lovely Emmeline (and their wonderfully talented celebrity artist friend Charlie French), in Philomena.

I was a bit hesitant to read this book. Being a special education teacher who works closely with children who have Down Syndrome, I was afraid of how the character of Mina would be described. But I was happily surprised how well her character and those around her were described. I liked how quiet and realistic her character was.

Thank you to Netgalley and Freehand Books for the ARC

This one is tough to review, mostly because I think the style of writing just didn't meld with me as a reader. My biggest gripe is that the transitions felt choppy and the language at times felt wooden or too obtuse. There are also some B plots that were written beautifully but didn't contribute to what I would consider to be the theme of the story.

However, how Ms. Zorn displayed an individual living with Down's Syndrome as a character was wonderful and true to real life. Mina is not a perfect character. She is not what some might stereotype her to be. She is complex; she has motivations to do things that others don't understand but that make sense to her. She isn't an angel, but she isn't a behavioral nightmare either. She's a fully fleshed out person, and the fact that Ms. Zorn didn't present us with a romanticized version of a person living with disabilities earns my respect. Mina lies, steals, has sex, hits people, loves with her whole heart, is naive at time to the world, and isn't afraid to share her thoughts and opinions with others.

And there are a whole host of characters whose motivation we get to judge against what we get to see from Mina. First is her brother, Bruno, who loves his sister and is charged with advocating for her and looking out for her best interests. Sometimes what he perceives as the best for Mina she doesn't agree with, however. Who gets to decide what's best for Mina? Clearly Bruno loves her and is wanting her to live a full life, but sometimes what he decides chafes against what Mina wants...but sometimes what Mina wants could put her in harm's way.

We have Iris, who I detested and who didn't get a redemption arc for me (not sure if the author wanted her to, but I think the author did leave us some space to redeem her if we choose). She sees Mina stitching on a park bench and strikes up a conversation. She ends up befriending Mina, but early she obsesses over how Mina is an artist and should have her art displayed somewhere. She makes some questionable choices to facilitate the end goal of getting her work displayed. If someone can see value in what Mina does, does that give them a right to share that without Mina's permission, even if it could lead to a boon for Mina in the end?

Gabriela is Mina's favorite person, and seems to love Mina for Mina with absolutely no ulterior motives. She serves as an advocate with Bruno for Mina, but sometimes she facilitates things that Bruno disagrees with (like rewarding her with treats or gifts when Bruno thinks she should buy them with her own money).

Then Madame Bingham...she works at a care facility and her relationship with Mina is...disturbing. But the author allows us to make our own decisions about that.

Overall, I liked that Mina's voice was true to the disability without romanticizing her. Some of the writing and transitions between characters were clunky, and the story could have used some fiercer editing to really whittle to the point. But the value of seeing diverse stories and voices represented outweighed some of the execution for me.

Some quotes I liked:
"Mina was a force destined to sunder parts from their whole."

"The world doesn't make much effort to understand people like Mina."

Did I like this book? Yes. Did I still find it a bit too sentimental and objectively too long? True.

The thing is, *Colours in Her Hands* is a novel without a traditional plot; it simply tells the life story of a girl with Down syndrome and her brother. I love that this condition is finally finding a more stable place in the narratives of books that aren't necessarily aimed at a teenage or adult audience. In this case, I found a good rhythm (although, in my opinion, there are about a hundred pages here and there that could have been cut without detracting from the enjoyment of the story—in fact, it would have increased its value and flow) and characters rich in nuance who made me love and hate them. I could appreciate and disapprove of their choices, while always feeling connected to them. I also loved that the protagonists are adults—a rare choice that gives the novel a unique quality and enhances its realism. Finally, a special mention goes to the relationship between the two siblings: loving yet distant, as if, despite the years and opportunities to learn as much as possible about each other, they end up being almost strangers. It's a book I certainly recommend.