In the ten years since Rachel Simon first invited the world to board the
bus with her and her sister, Cool Beth, readers across the globe have
been moved by their story. Now, in an updated edition with fifty pages
of new content, Rachel Simon reflects on changes in her life, Beth's
life, and the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. The highlight is Beth's update, which is in her own words.
A new Reader's Guide is also included. Join these two unforgettable
sisters on their journey, this time in an even deeper and richer way.
Rachel Simon's sister Beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and
often joyfully. Beth, who has an intellectual disability, spends her
days riding the buses in her unnamed Pennsylvania city. The drivers, a
lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community.
One day, Beth asks Rachel to accompany her on the buses for an entire
year. This wise, funny, deeply affecting true story is the chronicle of
that remarkable time. Rachel, a writer and college teacher whose
hyperbusy life camouflaged her emotional isolation, had much to learn in
her sister's extraordinary world. Full of life lessons from which any
reader will profit, Riding the Bus with My Sister is "a heartwarming,
life-affirming journey through both the present and the past...[that]
might just change your life" (Boston Herald).
Elegantly woven throughout the odyssey are riveting memories of
terrifying maternal abandonment, fierce sisterly loyalty, and
astonishing forgiveness. Rachel Simon brings to light the almost
invisible world of adults with developmental disabilities, finds
unlikely heroes in everyday life, and, without sentimentality, portrays
Beth as the endearing, feisty, independent person she is. This
heartwarming memoir about the unbreakable bond between two very
different sisters takes the reader on an inspirational journey at once
unique and universal.
Riding the Bus with My Sister was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame
movie starring Rosie O'Donnell and Andie McDowell, and directed by
Anjelica Huston.
