Review of Kristine Wyllys, “Ballad of Weary Daughters”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 240-259 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).
This is a story for anyone whose favorite part of Anne of Green Gables was the idea of kindred spirits — friends whose bond is forged early and will remain forever unbroken, no matter how many stumbling blocks life throws at them. Whether it is River’s father walking out on her family, or the way the doctors have to keep tweaking her bipolar meds, or whether it is Lucy’s younger brother coming home with a bad report card or her older brother disappearing, all of these seems nothing more than window-dressing for the real story, and that is their friendship.
As a teenager, I couldn’t even begin to imagine having a friend like that. Maybe if I had had more stories about teenaged girls being friends, I would have learned better how to do it. More stories like this one, please.
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