“The Story of Beautiful Girl” by Rachel Simon is a book about Lynnie, a girl with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American man who is deaf.  It is 1968, and on a rainy evening, Lynnie and Homan show up at Martha’s farm, with a baby.

When the police come to take Lynnie and Homan back to the institution where they are forced to live, Lynnie tells Martha, an older widow, to “hide her,” meaning to hide the baby.  Lynnie is taken back to the institution, Homan escapes and is on the run, and Martha proceeds to go into hiding with this newborn baby girl.

The story progresses through each of their lives, Continue reading »