The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller - ADVISABLE

The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets by Sarah Miller, 300 pages.  Schwartz and Wade Books (Penguin), 2019.  $18.  

Content: Language: PG (4 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: G.  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULTS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

In 1934, a poor farm woman in the countryside of Ontario gave birth to quintuplets.  Up to this point, no set of quintuplets had ever survived, and the Dionne family were quickly inundated with doctors and nurses to help keep the five little girls alive.  What was welcome help in the beginning, quickly became overbearance and the Dionne parents lost all say in the daily lives of their girls.  The Dionne Quintuplets became wards of Ontario and were displayed for tourists and used to promote different baby products.  The girls were exploited for hundreds of thousands of dollars in many different ways, all the while being raised apart from their family.  The Dionne Quintuplet’s experience is unbelievable and heartbreaking.  

As I read, the story kept getting more and more shocking and I couldn’t put it down.  At first, I was incensed for the parents, then I was frustrated with the government and by the time I was done reading I was saddened by the girls’ overall treatment.  This book will hook readers because it’s so unique.  I don’t think it’s necessarily written for young adults, but it is one of those stories that although written for adults, young adult readers will find the true story engaging.  The content includes references to sexual abuse and concern of molestation.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson