Rachel in the World

What happens when love is no longer enough? Jane Bernstein thought that learning to accept her daughter s disabilities meant her struggles were over. But as Rachel grew up and needed more than a parent s devotion, both mother and daughter were confronted with formidable obstacles. Rachel in the World, which begins in Rachel s fifth year and ends when she turns twenty-two, tells of their barriers and successes with the same honesty and humor that made Loving Rachel, Bernstein s first memoir, a classic in its field. The linked accounts in part 1 center on family issues, social services, experiences with caregivers, and Rachel herself--difficult, charming, hard to fathom, eager for her own independence. The second part of the book chronicles Bernstein s attempt to find Rachel housing at a time when over 200,000 Americans with mental retardation were on waiting lists for residential services. As Rachel prepares to leave her mother s constant protection, Bernstein invites the reader to share the frustrations and unexpected pleasures of finding a place for her daughter, first in her family, and then in the world.