Riding The Bus With My Sister

Simon, Rachel. Riding the Bus with my Sister. New York: Plume, 2002.

Riding the Bus with my Sister, written by Rachel Simon, is a compelling autobiography of Rachel and her sister Beth and the year they spent together riding buses around Philadelphia. While on these buses, Rachel learns about her sister and her daily struggles, such as encountering people who yell “Get a job!” and bus drivers who won’t stop for her. The bus system is also filled with wise bus drivers that impart their wisdom, generosity, and kindness upon the two sisters, who both benefit from this treatment in different ways. This book also details Rachel’s internal struggles with how to deal with Beth, dotting the book with memories from her childhood which explain her resentment and pent-up aggression towards her sister. This year long journey enables Rachel to cope with the traumatic events of her past and find a newfound love and respect for her sister as well as herself.

This book follows the journey of Rachel’s self-discovery, from ignorance and bitterness to a desire to learn and understand, to ultimately love and acceptance after forty years. Beth is a complex character and is depicted with compassion and realness, yet the language used in the book is troubling at times. The term mental retardation is used frequently, despite the author’s discovery halfway through the book of the proper terminology and people first language. Rachel questions people first language, as she believes that using that format defines the person by their illness, rather than the other way around. Despite this fact, the overwhelming attitudes of acceptance, love, and willingness to learn are prevalent throughout the book and promote the reader’s own journey to discover their own feelings.

As a piece of diverse literature, this autobiography, written by an insider, clearly portrays the struggles that families endure when living with someone with Down Syndrome. Compassionate and straightforward, the book combats serious issues that are common across these families without giving an ultimate answer. This is a journey of self-discovery for the author which results in a positive, loving relationship with her sister. It is a piece of quality diverse literature that could be used in many ways, least of all to demonstrate internal struggle and ultimately successful relationships.