Karen

Winner of the Christopher Award: This bestseller tells the inspirational true story of a girl with cerebral palsy and the mother who wouldnt give up on her. In 1940, when Karen Killilea was born three months premature and developed cerebral palsy, doctors encouraged her parents to put her in an institution and forget about her. At the time, her condition was considered untreatable, and institutionalization was the only recourse. But in a revolutionary act of faith and love, the Killileas never gave up hope that Karen could lead a successful life. Written by Karens mother, Marie, this memoir is a profound and heartwarming personal account of a young mothers efforts to refute the medical establishments dispiriting advice, and her daughters extraordinary triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. Maries activism spread awareness of the mistreatment of disabled people in America and led to the formation of multiple foundations, including United Cerebral Palsy. A larger-than-life story, Karen tells of a familys courage, patience, and struggle in the face of extreme difficulty. The New York Times wrote, Youll want to read it most for Karens own words: I can walk, I can talk. I can read. I can write. I can do anything.