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The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets
When they were born on May 28, 1934, weighing a grand total of just over 13 pounds, no one expected them to live so much as an hour. Overnight, Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie Dionne captivated the world, defying medical history with every breath they took.
In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family — and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Their faces sold everything from Baby Ruth candy bars to Colgate toothpaste.
In this masterful work of narrative nonfiction, Sarah Miller examines the lives of five identical sisters forced to endure the most publicized childhood in history — and how they survived their turbulent teenage years to forge identities of their own. Impeccably researched, with photos of the Dionnes from birth through adulthood, this is an enthralling, heartbreaking portrait of a unique sisterhood, imbued with the astonishing resilience of the human spirit.
In an effort to protect them from hucksters and showmen, the Ontario government took custody of the five identical babies, sequestering them in a private, custom-built hospital across the road from their family — and then, in a stunning act of hypocrisy, proceeded to exploit them for the next nine years. The Dionne Quintuplets became a more popular attraction than Niagara Falls, ogled through one-way screens by sightseers as they splashed in their wading pool at the center of a tourist hotspot known as Quintland. Their faces sold everything from Baby Ruth candy bars to Colgate toothpaste.
In this masterful work of narrative nonfiction, Sarah Miller examines the lives of five identical sisters forced to endure the most publicized childhood in history — and how they survived their turbulent teenage years to forge identities of their own. Impeccably researched, with photos of the Dionnes from birth through adulthood, this is an enthralling, heartbreaking portrait of a unique sisterhood, imbued with the astonishing resilience of the human spirit.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2019
417 people are currently reading
5210 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Miller
10 books857 followersSarah Miller began writing her first novel at the age of ten, and has spent the last two decades working in libraries and bookstores. She is the author of two previous historical novels, Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller, and The Lost Crown. Her nonfiction debut, The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century, was hailed by the New York Times as "a historical version of Law & Order." She lives in Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
July 2, 2022
Well first and foremost, Sarah Miller's text for her 2019 biography of Canada's, of Ontario's Dionne Quintuplets (The Miracle and Tragedy of The Dionne Quintuplets) proceeds delightfully straight forward and chronologically and with Miller providing not only much textual sympathy and empathy for the five sisters but also giving each of the Dionne girls their own unique voices and personalities, which is most definitely very much appreciated, considering that in far too many both fiction and non fiction accounts regarding the Dionne Quintuplets, they often seem to appear and function as a single and identical unit and which in my opinion renders Annette, Cecile, Émilie, Marie and Yvonne Dionne as rather indistinguishable and one-sided and therefore also more than a bit uninteresting (and which I for one also tend to find majorly insulting).
Now when I first started reading The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, I was indeed wondering a bit if the author, if Sarah Miller might be assuming too much non knowledge of the Dionne Quintuplets from her potential readers, as I personally was at times feeling a trifle preached at and even somewhat patronised. For yes, the vast majority of Dionne Quintuplets information Sarah Milller presents and provides in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, not only is this all quite well known to me, it has also been known to me since 1983, when we analysed not only the Dionne Quintuplets' life as public tourist attractions (during a focused unit on the Great Depression in Canada for grade eleven Social Studies) but we also covered and debated the reasons behind the five Dionne sisters basically being callously kidnapped as newborns by the Ontario provincial government and our class collectively arriving at the most uncomfortable conclusion that the main reason the Dionne Quintuplets were taken away from their family was sadly and frustratingly official and non official anti Catholic and anti Francophone bias (and that all of the subsequent hardships the Dionne Quintuplets suffered, including the now proven accusations of sexual abuse by their father, stem from what the government originally did, stem from the Quintuplets being taken away from their parents and only because the Dionne family was poor, was Catholic and spoke French as their mother tongue).
However and in retrospect, most contemporary American children (and likely also many teenagers and even adults) will more than likely have only a very cursory at best prior knowledge of the Dionne Quintuplets and that therefore what I would assume as being known in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is far more probably necessary and required need to be made aware of information. And thus, even though and very specifically, my own inner child sometimes and even often feels as though Sarah Miller provides me with nothing really all that new in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, as an introduction to the Dionne Quintuplets for readers with little to no prior experience and knowledge concerning them, The Miracle and the Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is engagingly penned, solidly researched and highly recommended (and with the only reason why my rating for The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is not yet five stars being that I do wish Sarah Miller had included both endnotes and a separate bibliography, since I consider this as much more user friendly for research purposes).
Now when I first started reading The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, I was indeed wondering a bit if the author, if Sarah Miller might be assuming too much non knowledge of the Dionne Quintuplets from her potential readers, as I personally was at times feeling a trifle preached at and even somewhat patronised. For yes, the vast majority of Dionne Quintuplets information Sarah Milller presents and provides in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, not only is this all quite well known to me, it has also been known to me since 1983, when we analysed not only the Dionne Quintuplets' life as public tourist attractions (during a focused unit on the Great Depression in Canada for grade eleven Social Studies) but we also covered and debated the reasons behind the five Dionne sisters basically being callously kidnapped as newborns by the Ontario provincial government and our class collectively arriving at the most uncomfortable conclusion that the main reason the Dionne Quintuplets were taken away from their family was sadly and frustratingly official and non official anti Catholic and anti Francophone bias (and that all of the subsequent hardships the Dionne Quintuplets suffered, including the now proven accusations of sexual abuse by their father, stem from what the government originally did, stem from the Quintuplets being taken away from their parents and only because the Dionne family was poor, was Catholic and spoke French as their mother tongue).
However and in retrospect, most contemporary American children (and likely also many teenagers and even adults) will more than likely have only a very cursory at best prior knowledge of the Dionne Quintuplets and that therefore what I would assume as being known in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is far more probably necessary and required need to be made aware of information. And thus, even though and very specifically, my own inner child sometimes and even often feels as though Sarah Miller provides me with nothing really all that new in The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, as an introduction to the Dionne Quintuplets for readers with little to no prior experience and knowledge concerning them, The Miracle and the Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is engagingly penned, solidly researched and highly recommended (and with the only reason why my rating for The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets is not yet five stars being that I do wish Sarah Miller had included both endnotes and a separate bibliography, since I consider this as much more user friendly for research purposes).
August 15, 2020
In 1934, five babies are delivered by midwives in a rural Canadian farm house. The family reluctantly summoned a doctor which they could not afford (these midwives do not charge). The Dionne’s already have 5 children. The new small babies (together they did not weigh 14 pounds) captured hearts of people around the world. Sarah Miller tells the Dionne story with emphasis on the burdens for the girls and their family of being in the public eye.
You have to hand it to midwives Auntie Legros and Madame Lebel who delivered these quints and kept them alive until country doctor Alan Dafoe arrived to take over and take credit.
Sarah Miller shows the contrast of the family’s after birth care and the more “scientific” care that followed. The babies were first wrapped in whatever cloth was available, put in a “butcher basket” and kept warm by a rotation of water bottles heated on a wood stove. When babies turned blue from breathing restriction the country doctor proscribed rum administered by an eyedropper. Days later, round the clock nurses, an incubator (non-electric since the house had no electricity) and oxygen equipment saved their lives.
Gifts and good wishes poured in along with promoters who were persistent in pushing contracts. At first, the parents seem to have no choice. They couldn’t afford the medical care needed to keep their babies alive. To get that care, they felt that they had to take an offer.
Miller takes you through successive decisions and events. The offer they took led to the loss of control of their children. The infirmary became a nursery across the street from the family home where the girls lived– not with their parents and siblings. The nursery-home became a tourist attraction. Barbed wire is added to protect them. The girls perform play antics during “viewing hours”. The family, among others, profited from stands at the carnival-like “Quintland” that grew up on their farm. Photo, film and appearance contracts had to be met. This kept the girls alive, took the Dionne’s out of poverty, but overwhelmed and divided the family.
The girls enter adulthood with no real world experience. Family relations are strained not only by the past but also their father’s current behavior. Their mother’s attitude is that “You would better girls if I had raised you”. Their siblings who have not had the girls’s privilege and attention are estranged.
The strength of the book is how the media phenomenon of these sisters festered, The weakness of the book is that you don’t get a real feel for the people the quints become.
Did their early lack of guidance and socialization opportunities lead to later tragedies? Not disclosing Emilie’s epilepsy had to wear on them. Both marriages resulted in divorce which was a cultural anathema in Catholic communities at the time. How did Cecile’s son, unbeknownst to her, come to be so deceptive? Why was Yvonne twice rejected for convent life?
The Index worked for me. There is a short but interesting list of sources and lots of B & W photos.
Sarah Miller is a very good writer. She has a great sense of staging her material which is clearly and interestingly presented.
You have to hand it to midwives Auntie Legros and Madame Lebel who delivered these quints and kept them alive until country doctor Alan Dafoe arrived to take over and take credit.
Sarah Miller shows the contrast of the family’s after birth care and the more “scientific” care that followed. The babies were first wrapped in whatever cloth was available, put in a “butcher basket” and kept warm by a rotation of water bottles heated on a wood stove. When babies turned blue from breathing restriction the country doctor proscribed rum administered by an eyedropper. Days later, round the clock nurses, an incubator (non-electric since the house had no electricity) and oxygen equipment saved their lives.
Gifts and good wishes poured in along with promoters who were persistent in pushing contracts. At first, the parents seem to have no choice. They couldn’t afford the medical care needed to keep their babies alive. To get that care, they felt that they had to take an offer.
Miller takes you through successive decisions and events. The offer they took led to the loss of control of their children. The infirmary became a nursery across the street from the family home where the girls lived– not with their parents and siblings. The nursery-home became a tourist attraction. Barbed wire is added to protect them. The girls perform play antics during “viewing hours”. The family, among others, profited from stands at the carnival-like “Quintland” that grew up on their farm. Photo, film and appearance contracts had to be met. This kept the girls alive, took the Dionne’s out of poverty, but overwhelmed and divided the family.
The girls enter adulthood with no real world experience. Family relations are strained not only by the past but also their father’s current behavior. Their mother’s attitude is that “You would better girls if I had raised you”. Their siblings who have not had the girls’s privilege and attention are estranged.
The strength of the book is how the media phenomenon of these sisters festered, The weakness of the book is that you don’t get a real feel for the people the quints become.
Did their early lack of guidance and socialization opportunities lead to later tragedies? Not disclosing Emilie’s epilepsy had to wear on them. Both marriages resulted in divorce which was a cultural anathema in Catholic communities at the time. How did Cecile’s son, unbeknownst to her, come to be so deceptive? Why was Yvonne twice rejected for convent life?
The Index worked for me. There is a short but interesting list of sources and lots of B & W photos.
Sarah Miller is a very good writer. She has a great sense of staging her material which is clearly and interestingly presented.
May 19, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I only knew a bit about the Dionne Quintuplets before reading this book by Sarah Miller. I was vaguely interested in the subject matter but adored Miller's earlier book "Caroline" a novelized version of the life of Caroline Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother. I was obsessed with the story of the Dionne quintuplets from the first page. The story itself is unbelievably compelling but the author's ability to craft the story made it hard for me to step away from reading this book. If you know nothing about these quints they were born in the 1930s to a poor family who already had five children they could barely afford. The mother, Elzire was still in her early 20s. The odds are these children would not live as they were super tiny and no quintuplets had all survived previously. The fact that the world jumped into action to keep these babies alive by offering milk, incubators, and medical supplies. That is probably the only nice thing that happened to those five baby girls. From there the government became involved to keep them from being taken advantage of and in the process the government teamed up with the doctor who delivered them to take advantage of those girls. They went so far as to keep those girls locked up in a hospital where they were viewed twice a day by thousands of visitors. This seriously read like they were just animals in a cage at the zoo. I don't want to go further into details and honestly you can find most of this story out there online if you dig for it but Sarah Miller did an extraordinarily fine job of researching and writing this book. I couldn't read this fast enough. After reading this one I immediately bought "We Were Five" an out of print book written with the living sisters decades after the events in this book and I purchased Sarah Miller's book about Anastasia Romanov. I want more on the Dionnes and more books by this author.
October 25, 2019
This was such a fast, easy read. I really liked this author's style of writing and the way that she effortlessly weaved in interviews, newspaper articles and documents into a story that captivated me from the opening lines. It's nonfiction but not boring or dry which is my favorite type of nonfiction. Also she tried very hard to be neutral and objective in regards to every side, which I enjoyed because it was probably closer to the truth than picking a side in the quints versus doctors versus government versus Dionne family decisions/choices.
The story of this family was both a miracle and a tragedy as the title states. Just the way the Dionne family was divided by the government and doctors from the moment of birth (however well meaning they might have been at first in regards to germs and running water) leaving the five sisters alone and starring in a show they never asked to be featured really tugged at my heartstrings. And then the way the sisters did not get their happily ever after even as adults, it just made me want to apologize for everything they went through/are still going through. Fascinating read. I would highly recommend.
The story of this family was both a miracle and a tragedy as the title states. Just the way the Dionne family was divided by the government and doctors from the moment of birth (however well meaning they might have been at first in regards to germs and running water) leaving the five sisters alone and starring in a show they never asked to be featured really tugged at my heartstrings. And then the way the sisters did not get their happily ever after even as adults, it just made me want to apologize for everything they went through/are still going through. Fascinating read. I would highly recommend.
November 25, 2019
Ugggggggggh. This whole story is such a horrible cluster from start to finish. I picked this up because when I was a kid, my grandma told me about the Dionne Quintuplets and showed me their picture (a souvenir photo that is reproduced in this book); at one point I even memorized all their names. So when I saw this book on display I knew I had to read it, in honor of my grandma.
I really wonder if she ever followed their whole sad story. It's shocking and horrifying in so many ways. It's so lovely that the world latched onto the girls with admiration and support for their dire medical needs - but then the idea that the government of Canada could make such life-affecting decisions about the girls' care without their parents' consent gives me chills.
I was disgusted throughout the book to see how public opinion vilified people on each side, frequently changing whose side they were on. I was even more disgusted at the media's role, creating completely falsified accounts to say whatever they thought would sell (clearly I should be less surprised, because how did I think we got "reality" TV?). Most of all it made my heart hurt to see how cruel "fans" and the media could be, to the girls and to their family.
Clearly the bizarre upbringing did affect the quintuplets for all their lives. It was hard to read about at times. From allegations of abuse, to their mother's sweeping her daughter's epilepsy under the rug - the way these things were treated were, I'm sure, common for that time and place, but as a mom in 2019 I just hate it.
The strongest reaction I have to this book is to be grateful that my husband and I are raising our own boys in our own way, and not in a media spotlight.
I really wonder if she ever followed their whole sad story. It's shocking and horrifying in so many ways. It's so lovely that the world latched onto the girls with admiration and support for their dire medical needs - but then the idea that the government of Canada could make such life-affecting decisions about the girls' care without their parents' consent gives me chills.
I was disgusted throughout the book to see how public opinion vilified people on each side, frequently changing whose side they were on. I was even more disgusted at the media's role, creating completely falsified accounts to say whatever they thought would sell (clearly I should be less surprised, because how did I think we got "reality" TV?). Most of all it made my heart hurt to see how cruel "fans" and the media could be, to the girls and to their family.
Clearly the bizarre upbringing did affect the quintuplets for all their lives. It was hard to read about at times. From allegations of abuse, to their mother's sweeping her daughter's epilepsy under the rug - the way these things were treated were, I'm sure, common for that time and place, but as a mom in 2019 I just hate it.
The strongest reaction I have to this book is to be grateful that my husband and I are raising our own boys in our own way, and not in a media spotlight.
January 3, 2021
This is a riveting account of the Dionne family after the arrival of the five tiny baby girls in 1934. Their health was so precarious, that nurses were immediately brought in to help keep them alive. The Canadian government basically kidnapped them for the next 9 years, displaying them to the public, but not welcoming the parents to help in raising them. The story of what happened after that, and their journey to adulthood is both exhilarating and desperately sad.
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November 25, 2019I knew nothing about the Dionne quints before reading this and I'm surprising not to, especially as my family is from Ontario in this same era.
Miller's story is told chronologically, and I appreciated how she tried to make such a mess balanced. There's always empathy and sympathy for the girls -- who each get a voice and personality here, as opposed to being seen as simply a unit -- but the choices their parents made and how the healthcare folks behaved are addressed well.
Engaging, with tons of photos, this book is one for nonfiction readers who love family drama and stories of the people behind "sideshows" (part of what happened early on with the Dionne family was a poor contract for the children to be part of the Chicago World's Far).
Miller's story is told chronologically, and I appreciated how she tried to make such a mess balanced. There's always empathy and sympathy for the girls -- who each get a voice and personality here, as opposed to being seen as simply a unit -- but the choices their parents made and how the healthcare folks behaved are addressed well.
Engaging, with tons of photos, this book is one for nonfiction readers who love family drama and stories of the people behind "sideshows" (part of what happened early on with the Dionne family was a poor contract for the children to be part of the Chicago World's Far).
June 5, 2019
Olivia and his wife Elzire were not aware that this latest pregnancy would change their lives forever. Elzire gives birth to quintuplets. Yvonne, Annette, Cicile, Emilie, and Marie. Each born in that order. They were born early and not expected to live. These babies would forever be known as the Dionne Quintuplets.
Not only were multiple live births of this degree unheard of, they were also all still alive and that was extraordinary.
What starts out as a paramount effort to keep the babies alive, in later years is a disaster. No expense was spared to keep the babies alive. Milk was brought in, along as an incubator that worked with hot water. Indoor plumbing, electricity and such did not exist in the Dionne home. The wood stove was kept hot at all times for heating water and keeping the house warm. Eventually a hospital was built across the street for the babies. This is where the division of the home started. The quints from their parents and their other siblings. The Quints would stay in that sterile environment for the next nine years. Strangers were allowed to view the girls. Their parents, only if specific rules were followed. The siblings weren't allowed around their sisters for fear of contagion.
The girls depended on themselves and the nurses that served them. There is no familial bond between their parents and siblings.
When the young girls leave home. They are not ready for the real world. They have led such a sheltered life.
Since the girls were born during the depression, they were a way of people forgetting their problems when they could focus their attention on this miracle of five duplicate babies. The children were exploited for tourism, movies, miscellaneous items that conveyed their likeness. Thousands of people travelled from around the world to see the famous quints. Some of the money did go into a trust for the girls. However, years later it would be found that thousands of dollars were "lost".
This is an extraordinary story of five extraordinary babies that grew up to be extraordinary women. Through their struggles they were able to have a life afterwards.
Wonderfully written! Excellent!
Not only were multiple live births of this degree unheard of, they were also all still alive and that was extraordinary.
What starts out as a paramount effort to keep the babies alive, in later years is a disaster. No expense was spared to keep the babies alive. Milk was brought in, along as an incubator that worked with hot water. Indoor plumbing, electricity and such did not exist in the Dionne home. The wood stove was kept hot at all times for heating water and keeping the house warm. Eventually a hospital was built across the street for the babies. This is where the division of the home started. The quints from their parents and their other siblings. The Quints would stay in that sterile environment for the next nine years. Strangers were allowed to view the girls. Their parents, only if specific rules were followed. The siblings weren't allowed around their sisters for fear of contagion.
The girls depended on themselves and the nurses that served them. There is no familial bond between their parents and siblings.
When the young girls leave home. They are not ready for the real world. They have led such a sheltered life.
Since the girls were born during the depression, they were a way of people forgetting their problems when they could focus their attention on this miracle of five duplicate babies. The children were exploited for tourism, movies, miscellaneous items that conveyed their likeness. Thousands of people travelled from around the world to see the famous quints. Some of the money did go into a trust for the girls. However, years later it would be found that thousands of dollars were "lost".
This is an extraordinary story of five extraordinary babies that grew up to be extraordinary women. Through their struggles they were able to have a life afterwards.
Wonderfully written! Excellent!
September 17, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book is BANANAS and proves the maxim that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Children kept in captivity, raised with no sense of independence or reality, ogled at by thousands like animals in a zoo, and exploited for millions of dollars?? WHAT?
.
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Sarah Miller has written a fascinating, balanced account of the Dionne Quintuplets, the first quintuplets to survive childhood in history. Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie and Marie were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne in rural Ontario in 1934, but they were cared for by nurses and their doctor, Dr. Dafoe, for the first nine and a half years of their life. The press and public were fascinated by the story of the Quints from the start as people were desperate for a “feel good” story in the midst of the Great Depression. Through circuitous circumstances the Canadian government seized custody of the Quints and kept them separated from the rest of their family in an artificial “home” with nurses granting their every wish. In the meantime, almost everyone surrounding the children profited from their image and notoriety to the tune of millions of dollars. Is it any wonder that all of the Quints had difficult lives?
.
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〰️
I read this book in less than 24 hours and couldn’t stop talking about it. Quick, short chapters keep the chronological plot moving. Readers will be fascinated by the strange circumstances of the Dionne family’s situation and the way that good intentions fail in the face of greed. Miller strives to give the five sisters independence and distinction that they lacked in press and publications for most of their life by including individual quotes from each of the sisters as much as possible and emphasizing their differences. Includes black and white images, references, extensive notes and an index.
.
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@sarahmillerbooks #middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile #schoollibrariansrock
This book is BANANAS and proves the maxim that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Children kept in captivity, raised with no sense of independence or reality, ogled at by thousands like animals in a zoo, and exploited for millions of dollars?? WHAT?
.
〰️
〰️
Sarah Miller has written a fascinating, balanced account of the Dionne Quintuplets, the first quintuplets to survive childhood in history. Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie and Marie were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne in rural Ontario in 1934, but they were cared for by nurses and their doctor, Dr. Dafoe, for the first nine and a half years of their life. The press and public were fascinated by the story of the Quints from the start as people were desperate for a “feel good” story in the midst of the Great Depression. Through circuitous circumstances the Canadian government seized custody of the Quints and kept them separated from the rest of their family in an artificial “home” with nurses granting their every wish. In the meantime, almost everyone surrounding the children profited from their image and notoriety to the tune of millions of dollars. Is it any wonder that all of the Quints had difficult lives?
.
〰️
〰️
I read this book in less than 24 hours and couldn’t stop talking about it. Quick, short chapters keep the chronological plot moving. Readers will be fascinated by the strange circumstances of the Dionne family’s situation and the way that good intentions fail in the face of greed. Miller strives to give the five sisters independence and distinction that they lacked in press and publications for most of their life by including individual quotes from each of the sisters as much as possible and emphasizing their differences. Includes black and white images, references, extensive notes and an index.
.
〰️
〰️
@sarahmillerbooks #middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile #schoollibrariansrock
April 29, 2023
4.25 stars
The Dionne quintuplets were born in rural Ontario in 1934. It was the Depression and their parents had no idea how they would pay to take care of 5 more kids! They were the first set of quintuplets who all lived. But the doctor who took care of them was so careful and cautious, he separated the quints into an entirely new, separate building across the street from their parents and other siblings, taken care of full-time by rotating nurses. They were so careful, the family was rarely able to visit. The Ontario government took over their care, supposedly so they wouldn’t be paraded around the U.S. Instead they were paraded out in front of the crowds who came to see them in their rural Ontario “home”. It was only when they were almost 10-years old did their parents win back custody of their own children.
Wow, those kids certainly did not have a normal childhood. Initially, they didn’t know any different, but when they finally were back with their family, they had no idea what a “normal” life was like. They’d never had to do any work before, everything was given to them and/or done for them. The parents suffered greatly, as well. They were harsh when they got the girls back; they were trying to provide a normal life for them, but they didn’t seem to have any inkling of how hard this was for the girls.
I don’t remember when the fictional version that I read of the Dionnes’ story ended, but this one continued right up to publication in 2018, when two of the sisters were still alive. I feel like the fictional book I read didn’t follow them into adulthood, so it was interesting to read that, too.
I’m giving this an extra ¼ star because I feel like this was researched so very well and the author tried to find a middle ground with all the melodrama and exaggeration and heightened emotions that seemed to happen with interviews with all parties. I feel like this is a well-rounded version, and I guess I can’t really say it’s the best version of what happened (since I’ve only read the one other (fictional) book about the quints), but I feel like it might be -- with the way it was researched and told.
The Dionne quintuplets were born in rural Ontario in 1934. It was the Depression and their parents had no idea how they would pay to take care of 5 more kids! They were the first set of quintuplets who all lived. But the doctor who took care of them was so careful and cautious, he separated the quints into an entirely new, separate building across the street from their parents and other siblings, taken care of full-time by rotating nurses. They were so careful, the family was rarely able to visit. The Ontario government took over their care, supposedly so they wouldn’t be paraded around the U.S. Instead they were paraded out in front of the crowds who came to see them in their rural Ontario “home”. It was only when they were almost 10-years old did their parents win back custody of their own children.
Wow, those kids certainly did not have a normal childhood. Initially, they didn’t know any different, but when they finally were back with their family, they had no idea what a “normal” life was like. They’d never had to do any work before, everything was given to them and/or done for them. The parents suffered greatly, as well. They were harsh when they got the girls back; they were trying to provide a normal life for them, but they didn’t seem to have any inkling of how hard this was for the girls.
I don’t remember when the fictional version that I read of the Dionnes’ story ended, but this one continued right up to publication in 2018, when two of the sisters were still alive. I feel like the fictional book I read didn’t follow them into adulthood, so it was interesting to read that, too.
I’m giving this an extra ¼ star because I feel like this was researched so very well and the author tried to find a middle ground with all the melodrama and exaggeration and heightened emotions that seemed to happen with interviews with all parties. I feel like this is a well-rounded version, and I guess I can’t really say it’s the best version of what happened (since I’ve only read the one other (fictional) book about the quints), but I feel like it might be -- with the way it was researched and told.
February 7, 2023
As much as I disliked the book I have to say it raised thought provoking questions about greed, ego, betrayal, duplicity and our seemingly insatiable thirst for spectacle.
The first two-thirds of the book cover the lives of the quintuplets from infancy to their first few years and was very monotonous. It was weighed down by constant petty bickering between the parents and the medical staff, shameless profiteers, inane & ad nauseum details about the everyday routines of the quints, and just general misery.
The book becomes far more interesting as the quints enter adulthood. At that point they cease being described as objects and begin to be seen as actual people as they start making life choices. But sadly the few good moments eventually yield to tragedy.
The subject matter is a major downer but it's the repetition and dullness that make it an unpleasant reading experience.
The first two-thirds of the book cover the lives of the quintuplets from infancy to their first few years and was very monotonous. It was weighed down by constant petty bickering between the parents and the medical staff, shameless profiteers, inane & ad nauseum details about the everyday routines of the quints, and just general misery.
The book becomes far more interesting as the quints enter adulthood. At that point they cease being described as objects and begin to be seen as actual people as they start making life choices. But sadly the few good moments eventually yield to tragedy.
The subject matter is a major downer but it's the repetition and dullness that make it an unpleasant reading experience.
April 15, 2022
Gahhhh! To think the Canadian government would take children from their parents for fear they might be exploited as the first set of Quintuplets is odd. To then watch the wedge between siblings and quints driven deeper as they are relocated across the street in a personal hospital/holding grounds with staff and literally put on display like animals in a zoo is disgusting. More tourism to see them than Niagara Falls and the greed just keeps building.
October 6, 2022
Back in (apparently) 1994 the CBC ran Million Dollar Babies (with Beau Bridges and everything!) about the Dionnes, and my sister and I were obsessed (perks of living in a state that got Canadian tv!). We went to the little house museum sometime after that on vacation as a family; my sister collected a bunch of Dionne stuff; I read the book that the miniseries was based on; I bought the DVD of the miniseries about a decade ago even. All that to say, I had to read this (even if I feel a little conflicted about it all…).
Holy cow, is it incredible.
This story man… It’s all so interesting and horrible. Miller does a great job of telling the Dionnes’ story. You really feel for Elzire and Oliva, and then later you really don’t understand them… Ultimately, I really just felt so badly for the girls, under scrutiny and not allowed to just be kids. I found the girls’ later years particularly interesting just because I haven’t heard as much about those times. I can’t imagine what their lives were like, and I hope they’ve found peace where they can.
(I listened to this and used the kindle version. I made soooo many highlights. Overall the narrator was good, but said Corbeil wrong throughout, which was a bit annoying.)
Holy cow, is it incredible.
This story man… It’s all so interesting and horrible. Miller does a great job of telling the Dionnes’ story. You really feel for Elzire and Oliva, and then later you really don’t understand them… Ultimately, I really just felt so badly for the girls, under scrutiny and not allowed to just be kids. I found the girls’ later years particularly interesting just because I haven’t heard as much about those times. I can’t imagine what their lives were like, and I hope they’ve found peace where they can.
(I listened to this and used the kindle version. I made soooo many highlights. Overall the narrator was good, but said Corbeil wrong throughout, which was a bit annoying.)
March 30, 2024
2.5 STARS
SPOILERS if you don’t know the story.
I’ve read about and saw documentaries on the Dionne Quintuplets since I was a young girl fascinated by the first surviving identical quintuplets. THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS by Sarah Miller covers some new territory, goes deeper into the sexual abuse the girls suffered at the hands of their father and confirms the suicide of one quint.
The story focuses less on the quints and more on the commercialization of the girls from the time they were babies, which was of no interest to me since I already knew those details. I wish Miller had used a more narrative approach to the story, showing instead of telling and giving more of a feel for the quints as individuals. Miller does explore some of the different trajectories the Dionne quintuplets’ lives took as adult, though never to the level of giving the story heart and soul.
Watching a documentary will be more interesting than reading THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS. I enjoyed the photos at the end of the book, they were well formatted for my kindle which isn’t always the case.
SPOILERS if you don’t know the story.
I’ve read about and saw documentaries on the Dionne Quintuplets since I was a young girl fascinated by the first surviving identical quintuplets. THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS by Sarah Miller covers some new territory, goes deeper into the sexual abuse the girls suffered at the hands of their father and confirms the suicide of one quint.
The story focuses less on the quints and more on the commercialization of the girls from the time they were babies, which was of no interest to me since I already knew those details. I wish Miller had used a more narrative approach to the story, showing instead of telling and giving more of a feel for the quints as individuals. Miller does explore some of the different trajectories the Dionne quintuplets’ lives took as adult, though never to the level of giving the story heart and soul.
Watching a documentary will be more interesting than reading THE MIRACLE AND TRAGEDY OF THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS. I enjoyed the photos at the end of the book, they were well formatted for my kindle which isn’t always the case.
September 20, 2019
This was well researched and well written. The style is very narrative, which I think suits the story because it almost reads like fiction. I cannot fathom how there was not one single adult who supported and advocated for the quintuplets in a selfless and educated way. I tried to suspend some disbelief for the era and the limits of medical and child development knowledge then, but I’m still just so viscerally appalled by how they were treated. That aside, it’s a truly fascinating and unique story.
October 28, 2020
The story of the Dionne Quintuplets was one which I had never heard before, and which stretched the limits of credulity, if it were not for so many examples of humanities failures. The five sisters and their siblings endured so much trauma, and reading about their lives almost felt like an additional violation of their privacy, safety, and sanity. Miller seems to do a good job of presenting both sides of the conflict that the quintuplets spurred, so much so that as a reader there isn't a clear "allegiance" to any one side except the sister's. Fascinating and horrifying, this was an excellent read.
August 16, 2019
This seems to be the summer of the Dionnes, between Quintland and this book. During the SLJ Teen Live event the author mentioned that most YA readers won't have heard about them, which is true... unless they've heard Sondheim's "I'm Still Here" and looked them up. There's also been some coverage of them as the original "kidfluencers" but that may be escaping teen notice.
This is NF and pretty well done. Because the Dionne family hasn't been all that forthcoming there's a lot of unknowns about their lives, especially life once the girls moved home and what their siblings thought/think. Their exploitation by everyone, from their doctor to their neighbors, is truly tragic. Equally tragic are the statements made later by several of the nurses in charge of their care as they realize the effects of their treatment on the family and the girls.
eARC provided by publisher.
This is NF and pretty well done. Because the Dionne family hasn't been all that forthcoming there's a lot of unknowns about their lives, especially life once the girls moved home and what their siblings thought/think. Their exploitation by everyone, from their doctor to their neighbors, is truly tragic. Equally tragic are the statements made later by several of the nurses in charge of their care as they realize the effects of their treatment on the family and the girls.
eARC provided by publisher.
April 20, 2020
This was an interesting look at the Dionne quintuplets, five sisters born in the early 1930s in rural Canada. They barely survived their birth, and by the time they were 2, they had been turned into a practical sideshow to provide validation (and income) for their parents, their doctor, and practically the entire province.
It ended kind of abruptly (in fact, I turned a few pages to see if there was more), but did follow them to the time of publication, which was fascinating.
It ended kind of abruptly (in fact, I turned a few pages to see if there was more), but did follow them to the time of publication, which was fascinating.
September 17, 2020
Enjoyable. A fascinating story well told.
September 6, 2025
five stars, one for each quintuplet
i put this book on my tbr after reading an obituary in the new york times for cécile after she passed away earlier this year. her story, told briefly in the article, captivated me enough to finally pick up this book as part of the 75Hard challenge. I’m glad I did -- this is about as close to a fiction book as a nonfiction book can get. the narrative was easy to follow and reinforced the time old truth that children made famous become ill adjusted adults (re: prince harry)
i put this book on my tbr after reading an obituary in the new york times for cécile after she passed away earlier this year. her story, told briefly in the article, captivated me enough to finally pick up this book as part of the 75Hard challenge. I’m glad I did -- this is about as close to a fiction book as a nonfiction book can get. the narrative was easy to follow and reinforced the time old truth that children made famous become ill adjusted adults (re: prince harry)
March 13, 2021
Who isn’t fascinated with multiples?! Today we follow them on Instagram or blogs or YouTube, but back in the 1930’s, the world visited the Dionne quints in their own “Disney” like theme park. But what happens when the family is too poor to give care to their 5 premature daughters? This is the story of how the Red Cross, the Canadian government, the local doctor, the press, and nuns and nurses all contributed to the care of these special quint sisters. Sadly, not all had their best interests in mind. Sadly, even their parents were conflicted in making decisions about their wellbeing. A fascinating story.
April 17, 2021
Compulsively readable and terribly sad--a really fascinating story with too many of my weird overlapping obsessions (multiple births, sideshows, institutions, collectibles, identity, scandal!) for my own comfort.
September 8, 2020
I have always been fascinated by the sad tale of the Dionne Quintuplets, reading both The Dionne Years: A Thirties Melodrama and Time of Their Lives The Dionne Tragedy many, many years ago, as well as The Quintland Sisters just in the past year.
I found this book to be a very thorough retelling of the lives of the Dionne Quintuplets. I would think their childhood is one of the first documented accounts of child exploitation for the purpose of entertainment. Government sanctioned removal of children from homes, whether in this case or in the case of Canada's shameful history around residential schools, has proven to never be appropriate and in case after case has proven to be detrimental to the very children the government is said to be protecting. The Dionne quintuplets and, indeed, their whole family could never have recovered from the trauma inflicted upon them unnecessarily.
A heartbreaking, little known part of Canadian history.
I found this book to be a very thorough retelling of the lives of the Dionne Quintuplets. I would think their childhood is one of the first documented accounts of child exploitation for the purpose of entertainment. Government sanctioned removal of children from homes, whether in this case or in the case of Canada's shameful history around residential schools, has proven to never be appropriate and in case after case has proven to be detrimental to the very children the government is said to be protecting. The Dionne quintuplets and, indeed, their whole family could never have recovered from the trauma inflicted upon them unnecessarily.
A heartbreaking, little known part of Canadian history.
October 15, 2024
Tragic.
August 19, 2019
1. I have read in other reviews that this is like an expose of what really happened with the Dionne Quints. I have to disagree vehemently. What I just read is more like tabloid fodder than a nonfiction biography of sisters who never knew normal. It is shocking and appalling and I am horrified that both an editor and a publisher is letting this be "given to the masses" as truth. This just reeks of profit and greediness and more exploitation of a family that has known nothing but that in their whole lives. Shame on this publisher and shame on the writer.
2. This is not a YA book. It is a book of nonfiction [and I use that term loosely, but we will get to that] that absolutely could be read by anyone. There is NOTHING in this book to indicate that it is specifically for the age group of YA and is misleading. Very few YA readers would find this intriguing - it is in many chapters, a dry read and also is very, very, repetitive. You have no doubt, by the end of the book, who you are supposed to feel sorry for [shocker, it is NOT the quints] because it is hammered at you over and over again [see #4].
3. WHERE. ARE. THE. FOOTNOTES? Where is the source material sited? She lists the books she uses and she does have somewhat of a note section [but without footnotes and a bibliography, HOW do you even follow this?]. The author tries to absolve herself of this in a "note on the dialogue" and assures the reader that "she has not invented any of the dialogue in this book. Everything rendered in quotation marks can be traced to diaries, correspondence, books, newspapers, magazines, newsreels, or film documentaries". Well, that is ALL well in good to state that, but without full source material and footnotes, how can we check that? We cannot. We have to rely on the word of the author [many of the conversations that appear in this book seem as if the author herself was talking with the Quints or their family or the nurses etc, which would be impossible in MANY cases, and is very misleading]. She also states that a note of caution must be used [and this is the HUGE red flag for me and what makes me think this is much more for sensationalism and monetary gain than anything else] in regards to the conversations she has "re-created". Uh, yeah. No kidding. When you abridge conversations or, in my opinion, INVENT conversations, to further your book along, you are no longer writing a nonfiction book and have moved into the fiction world.
4. This is a book of great bias. There seems to be no attempt to be unbiased and in my opinion, the author almost delights in her bias. It is only towards the end of the book, after the parent's have died, that the bias leaves and she truly focuses in on the Quints themselves and what they truly may have suffered. While both sides are culpable and the Ontario government DID overstep their bounds tremendously, the parent's [mostly because of the father's doing] ALSO capitalized on their daughters [and ultimately, even the mother was guilty of using her daughters to get the response she wanted from the people] and all of the blame cannot be laid at the Ontario governments feet. The fact that the girls, when they were moved as babies, were literally across the street [400 yards] from where they were born and that the parent's had FULL access to them [something they chose not to utilize due to the strictness of the nurses - uh, they were QUINTS. In 1934. It is a miracle they lived to begin with. The nurses and the schedule and the avoidance of germs and illness was wise {in the beginning. It DID get out of control as they got older} and I think the parent's chose ignorance so they could garner sympathy rather than listen to the Drs and educate themselves on just WHY the girls needed round-the-clock care] and chose to basically ignore them speaks volumes to me. The fact that the author does nothing to hide the fact that she sides with the parent's is disturbing and again, in my opinion, unprofessional as an author of nonfiction.
5. I will be looking for other books on the Dionne Quints. Hopefully one that has more source material and footnotes. I think this might have worked better as a book of historical fiction as it seems more like that than a book of nonfiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Children's/Schwartz and Wade for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2. This is not a YA book. It is a book of nonfiction [and I use that term loosely, but we will get to that] that absolutely could be read by anyone. There is NOTHING in this book to indicate that it is specifically for the age group of YA and is misleading. Very few YA readers would find this intriguing - it is in many chapters, a dry read and also is very, very, repetitive. You have no doubt, by the end of the book, who you are supposed to feel sorry for [shocker, it is NOT the quints] because it is hammered at you over and over again [see #4].
3. WHERE. ARE. THE. FOOTNOTES? Where is the source material sited? She lists the books she uses and she does have somewhat of a note section [but without footnotes and a bibliography, HOW do you even follow this?]. The author tries to absolve herself of this in a "note on the dialogue" and assures the reader that "she has not invented any of the dialogue in this book. Everything rendered in quotation marks can be traced to diaries, correspondence, books, newspapers, magazines, newsreels, or film documentaries". Well, that is ALL well in good to state that, but without full source material and footnotes, how can we check that? We cannot. We have to rely on the word of the author [many of the conversations that appear in this book seem as if the author herself was talking with the Quints or their family or the nurses etc, which would be impossible in MANY cases, and is very misleading]. She also states that a note of caution must be used [and this is the HUGE red flag for me and what makes me think this is much more for sensationalism and monetary gain than anything else] in regards to the conversations she has "re-created". Uh, yeah. No kidding. When you abridge conversations or, in my opinion, INVENT conversations, to further your book along, you are no longer writing a nonfiction book and have moved into the fiction world.
4. This is a book of great bias. There seems to be no attempt to be unbiased and in my opinion, the author almost delights in her bias. It is only towards the end of the book, after the parent's have died, that the bias leaves and she truly focuses in on the Quints themselves and what they truly may have suffered. While both sides are culpable and the Ontario government DID overstep their bounds tremendously, the parent's [mostly because of the father's doing] ALSO capitalized on their daughters [and ultimately, even the mother was guilty of using her daughters to get the response she wanted from the people] and all of the blame cannot be laid at the Ontario governments feet. The fact that the girls, when they were moved as babies, were literally across the street [400 yards] from where they were born and that the parent's had FULL access to them [something they chose not to utilize due to the strictness of the nurses - uh, they were QUINTS. In 1934. It is a miracle they lived to begin with. The nurses and the schedule and the avoidance of germs and illness was wise {in the beginning. It DID get out of control as they got older} and I think the parent's chose ignorance so they could garner sympathy rather than listen to the Drs and educate themselves on just WHY the girls needed round-the-clock care] and chose to basically ignore them speaks volumes to me. The fact that the author does nothing to hide the fact that she sides with the parent's is disturbing and again, in my opinion, unprofessional as an author of nonfiction.
5. I will be looking for other books on the Dionne Quints. Hopefully one that has more source material and footnotes. I think this might have worked better as a book of historical fiction as it seems more like that than a book of nonfiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Children's/Schwartz and Wade for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2019
First sentence of the prologue: In an empty nursery, behind two woven wire fences topped with barbed wire, five nine-year-old girls waited for their father.
Premise/plot: Sarah Miller’s newest book is a biography of the Dionne quintuplets: Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie, and Marie who were born on May 28, 1934. Their arrival and survival captivated and fascinated the world at large not just for weeks, months, or even years but for decades. Their birth thrust them into fame, a fame that they could hardly hope to escape. The Dionne parents didn’t ask for it, nor their older siblings—or younger siblings that would follow. The county, country, nation, world deemed the parents incapable of raising the quintuplets. It wasn’t just that they would need help or support—nurses, nannies, doctors, all of which would take money. No they were judged by the crowd, the mob, society to be unfit to decide how to raise these five. They were not to have any say in the day to day decisions or the decisions that would prove more significant and lasting. They were begrudgingly allowed to visit—if they were deemed healthy enough—but the children did not belong to them or with them. When the parents finally did get custody of the quintuplets, when they were allowed to live with their parents for the first time, it would prove difficult and challenging. There would always be a strain, a strangeness. The quintuplets would always, always relate to one another best. For better or worse.
Life is a miracle. All life is a miracle. The quintuplets birth was miraculous certainly. But it was also tragic by most anybody’s standards. No matter their age—babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, adults—challenges plagued them. It didn’t have to be, a tragedy of its own. Their strange upbringing, the fame and attention, did not prepare them for life, for the real world, to live full lives apart from one another. No one should be treated as a spectacular spectacular.
My thoughts: Incredibly sad, that is how I’d describe this one. I expected ups and downs. Perhaps more downs than ups based on the title. But this one was all downs. The sad thing is that in retrospect some of the downs turned out to be more “up” than previously thought.
Miller pieced together the story well from two extremes. The “facts” as seen from both sides are far, far apart. Many sources seem to exaggerate and play around somewhat loosely with black and white facts. It must have been challenging to research and not take sides and form strong opinions. But Miller did a good job in my opinion. If I was slow to finish (I started this one in August) it was because the book was so bleak. Biographies are like this sometimes.
Premise/plot: Sarah Miller’s newest book is a biography of the Dionne quintuplets: Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie, and Marie who were born on May 28, 1934. Their arrival and survival captivated and fascinated the world at large not just for weeks, months, or even years but for decades. Their birth thrust them into fame, a fame that they could hardly hope to escape. The Dionne parents didn’t ask for it, nor their older siblings—or younger siblings that would follow. The county, country, nation, world deemed the parents incapable of raising the quintuplets. It wasn’t just that they would need help or support—nurses, nannies, doctors, all of which would take money. No they were judged by the crowd, the mob, society to be unfit to decide how to raise these five. They were not to have any say in the day to day decisions or the decisions that would prove more significant and lasting. They were begrudgingly allowed to visit—if they were deemed healthy enough—but the children did not belong to them or with them. When the parents finally did get custody of the quintuplets, when they were allowed to live with their parents for the first time, it would prove difficult and challenging. There would always be a strain, a strangeness. The quintuplets would always, always relate to one another best. For better or worse.
Life is a miracle. All life is a miracle. The quintuplets birth was miraculous certainly. But it was also tragic by most anybody’s standards. No matter their age—babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, adults—challenges plagued them. It didn’t have to be, a tragedy of its own. Their strange upbringing, the fame and attention, did not prepare them for life, for the real world, to live full lives apart from one another. No one should be treated as a spectacular spectacular.
My thoughts: Incredibly sad, that is how I’d describe this one. I expected ups and downs. Perhaps more downs than ups based on the title. But this one was all downs. The sad thing is that in retrospect some of the downs turned out to be more “up” than previously thought.
Miller pieced together the story well from two extremes. The “facts” as seen from both sides are far, far apart. Many sources seem to exaggerate and play around somewhat loosely with black and white facts. It must have been challenging to research and not take sides and form strong opinions. But Miller did a good job in my opinion. If I was slow to finish (I started this one in August) it was because the book was so bleak. Biographies are like this sometimes.
August 17, 2020
I had wanted to know more about this family and the quintuplets. The fact that they survived was a miracle but much of their lives was tragic.
November 13, 2019
This story of the Dionne Quintuplets and the ups and downs of their lives up to the present day was quite the roller coaster ride emotionally. From the difficult circumstances of their birth and the tremendous efforts made to save their lives up through the building of the hospital and 'imprisonment' of the girls, to their release back to their parents at age 9, their growing up years, and journey to adulthood, Miller tells the story of these five individuals in a accurate and powerful way. I found the book very compelling as well as heartbreaking. The title of the book is very appropriate in that the girls survival was a miracle brought about through the efforts of many, but too many of the decisions made regarding the girls later ended up causing a lot of grief for the girls and their family. Reading about how the girls were separated from their family for nine years, except for brief, and often uncomfortable visits, was sad. There was little chance that the girls would ever have a normal relationship with their parents and siblings after growing up apart from them.
The part of the book that made me the angriest though was reading about how the government took them from their parents to protect them from exploitation and then turned around and exploited them. But then again, during their childhood they were exploited by almost everyone, including their own family. And the money that should have been theirs was generously spent by their family, guardians, and caretakers leaving the girls with financial challenges later. Reading about the challenges the girls carried with them into their futures was also difficult as it became apparent that their childhood left them ill-prepared to cope with the problems of adulthood.
Miller has written a compelling account that has clearly been thoroughly researched and as accurately presented as possible. All biographies should be so well done.
The part of the book that made me the angriest though was reading about how the government took them from their parents to protect them from exploitation and then turned around and exploited them. But then again, during their childhood they were exploited by almost everyone, including their own family. And the money that should have been theirs was generously spent by their family, guardians, and caretakers leaving the girls with financial challenges later. Reading about the challenges the girls carried with them into their futures was also difficult as it became apparent that their childhood left them ill-prepared to cope with the problems of adulthood.
Miller has written a compelling account that has clearly been thoroughly researched and as accurately presented as possible. All biographies should be so well done.
September 30, 2019
What a super fascinating biography of the Dionne quintuplets: Marie, Emilie, Yvonne, Annette, and Cecile. Born to a 25 year old mother who already had five children after she married when she was 16, the pregnancy got progressively worse in 1934 and it looked as though the baby was going to be born prematurely-- instead: Elzire completely worn and tired gave birth to five baby girls with the help of a local mom/midwife and the doctor who arrived basically when the children were born but ended up having a significant impact on the trajectory of their lives.
The book itself is organized chronologically and is maddening for what happened to these girls that became the centerpiece of tourism in Canada that at one point, they were more viewed than Niagara Falls particularly when the Canadian government/Red Cross forced papers on Elzire and Oliva to relinquish their rights to best care for the girls who weighed a total of 13 pounds COMBINED with the littlest one about a pound when born. There is so much to unpack in the story and Miller captivates. She also explains that most of the quotations are directly from journals and letters so not much invention was necessary as a "hospital" was built for them to be raised and ultimately put on display.
Their lives are equally riveting with them all surviving to adulthood though one died from a stroke at 20. The tumultuous family situation endured so many trials and then the stress of the fame too.
I am better for having read this book to understand the motivation of people but also appreciate (as the title suggests) the miracle of their births as well. Can't wait to share this one.
The book itself is organized chronologically and is maddening for what happened to these girls that became the centerpiece of tourism in Canada that at one point, they were more viewed than Niagara Falls particularly when the Canadian government/Red Cross forced papers on Elzire and Oliva to relinquish their rights to best care for the girls who weighed a total of 13 pounds COMBINED with the littlest one about a pound when born. There is so much to unpack in the story and Miller captivates. She also explains that most of the quotations are directly from journals and letters so not much invention was necessary as a "hospital" was built for them to be raised and ultimately put on display.
Their lives are equally riveting with them all surviving to adulthood though one died from a stroke at 20. The tumultuous family situation endured so many trials and then the stress of the fame too.
I am better for having read this book to understand the motivation of people but also appreciate (as the title suggests) the miracle of their births as well. Can't wait to share this one.
June 7, 2020
This is a five-star for me in part, no doubt, because the topic is of high interest to me--this isn't a book I casually chose, but one I have looked forward to, and it did not disappoint. I have always been interested in reading about twins (and multiple births), both in fiction and in nonfiction. Additionally, I remember my mother, who would have been 10 years older than the Dionne quintuplets, sharing her memories of them with me from the perspective of her youth. Is it a fascinating story? Absolutely. But mostly, it's awful, on many levels, and there are so many lessons to be learned from it--unfortunately, on the backs of five utterly unwitting victims. The saddest part, to me, is that neither the doctor, nor the parents, nor the Canadian government, set out with the intent of profiting from and exploiting the lives of Emilie, Marie, Annette, Cecile, and Yvonne, who, over and over, were not only given no voice, but who were never even informed about decisions made regarding their lives and their futures. Yet, in the end, profit and exploit is exactly what they did. For me, there are two huge takeaways. One: making decisions for those unable to care for themselves--the powerless--is a sacred charge. Yet, those who do so are human, and to varying degrees often end up acting in their own self-interest. Which leads to takeaway number two: most people we deem unable to care for themselves (especially children but also some people with severe disabilities, many of whom are elderly ) can and still make their needs known, and to the fullest extent possible they should have agency over their own lives.
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