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Grace Williams Says It Loud
A startling, first-person debut and a unique, spirit-soaring love story.
This isn't an ordinary love story. But then Grace isn't an ordinary girl.
'Disgusting,' said the nurse.
And when no more could be done, they put her away, aged eleven.
On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace meets Daniel. He sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. Debonair Daniel, who can type with his feet, fills Grace's head with tales from Paris and the world beyond.
This is Grace's story: her life, its betrayals and triumphs, disappointment and loss, the taste of freedom; roses, music and tiny scraps of paper. Most of all, it is about the love of a lifetime.
This isn't an ordinary love story. But then Grace isn't an ordinary girl.
'Disgusting,' said the nurse.
And when no more could be done, they put her away, aged eleven.
On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace meets Daniel. He sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. Debonair Daniel, who can type with his feet, fills Grace's head with tales from Paris and the world beyond.
This is Grace's story: her life, its betrayals and triumphs, disappointment and loss, the taste of freedom; roses, music and tiny scraps of paper. Most of all, it is about the love of a lifetime.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
24 people are currently reading
1466 people want to read
About the author
Emma Henderson
20 books19 followersEmma Henderson went to school in London and studied at Somerville College, Oxford and Yale University. She wrote blurbs for Penguin Books for two years, then spent a decade teaching English in comprehensive schools and further education colleges, before moving to the French Alps where, for six years, she ran a ski and snowboard lodge. She now lives in Derbyshire and is a lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Keele University. Emma Henderson’s debut novel, Grace Williams Says It Loud, was published in 2010. It won the McKitterick Prize and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ First Book Award, the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, the Wellcome Book Prize and was runner-up for the Mind Book of the Year. Her second novel, published in April 2017, The Valentine House, has its roots in a remote valley in the French Alps, where she lived for six years. The Times says it is “beautifully written” and the Daily Mail describes it as “gripping and poignant.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
August 10, 2016
I disliked this book, and that seems a shame to me, because there was such potential in the topic. I am interested in mental health and learning difficulties, and the ways in which we treated and regarded individuals with physical and mental disability in the past. Yet I struggled to read this book. In fact I only finished it because I had spent money on it and I felt I needed to justify it.
I found this book lacked fluency, both in the writer's voice and the overall narrative. I found it difficult to follow at times and did not feel like I cared enough about the characters. I understand that Emma Henderson was trying to convey the voice of Grace, but I don't think it worked, at least for me, on this occasion. I would not reread this book and would not recommend it to others. It was hard work from cover to cover and I cannot identify any redeeming features.
I found this book lacked fluency, both in the writer's voice and the overall narrative. I found it difficult to follow at times and did not feel like I cared enough about the characters. I understand that Emma Henderson was trying to convey the voice of Grace, but I don't think it worked, at least for me, on this occasion. I would not reread this book and would not recommend it to others. It was hard work from cover to cover and I cannot identify any redeeming features.
April 1, 2021
I really like Grace's character. Her and Daniel's friendship. Her being differently abled and the perspectives of people were eye opening. I did believe sending her to a special school would have been better than a mental institution. Brutalities like sexual abuse, the bullying might have been absent but idk for sure. I can't comment. I did feel that her parents just washed off their hands from her even though they visited her annually. They could have been more involved. It was really nice to read from her perspective, someone who was abandoned by the world. Someone finding hint of love and friendship, without really understanding it. I had always wondered about their perspectives. Well written.
May 31, 2012
First Sentence: "When Sarah told me Daniel had died, the cuckoo clock opened and out flew sound, a bird, two figures."
Emma Henderson's debut "Grace Williams Says It Out Loud" is wonderful, compelling and engaging. Written in the voice of Grace Williams, a spastic, "uneducable", polio-stricken, mentally retarded, who speaks in grunts and other unintelligible sounds. However, Grace Williams speaks with words that are poetic and fluid, drawing a juxtaposition of contrasting emotions in me as a reader. At age 11, when nothing could be done anymore, Grace Williams, was sent to a mental institution where she met and loved Daniel Smith, another resident. Theirs was a not an ordinary love story, told in a detached voice, and devoid of any sentimentality. But then again, Grace Williams "isn't an ordinary girl." This book, however, is not just about the special friendship between Grace Williams and Daniel; but of Grace Williams's family, her carers, the love, the abuse and the betrayal Grace Williams has been subjected to.
Emma Henderson's debut "Grace Williams Says It Out Loud" is wonderful, compelling and engaging. Written in the voice of Grace Williams, a spastic, "uneducable", polio-stricken, mentally retarded, who speaks in grunts and other unintelligible sounds. However, Grace Williams speaks with words that are poetic and fluid, drawing a juxtaposition of contrasting emotions in me as a reader. At age 11, when nothing could be done anymore, Grace Williams, was sent to a mental institution where she met and loved Daniel Smith, another resident. Theirs was a not an ordinary love story, told in a detached voice, and devoid of any sentimentality. But then again, Grace Williams "isn't an ordinary girl." This book, however, is not just about the special friendship between Grace Williams and Daniel; but of Grace Williams's family, her carers, the love, the abuse and the betrayal Grace Williams has been subjected to.
July 3, 2011
I picked this up because a reviewer thought it was comparable to Emma Donoghue's Room, in it's, "linguistic, and emotional, resourcefulness."
I totally disagree - I was very disappointed.
I didn't warm to the main characters, or root for them, or even really feel much for them. It had nothing like the emotional punch that it should have had given the subject matter.
I totally disagree - I was very disappointed.
I didn't warm to the main characters, or root for them, or even really feel much for them. It had nothing like the emotional punch that it should have had given the subject matter.
April 11, 2012
(This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk)
I wanted to adore this book, really I did- but I couldn't. I found it such a struggle to get into and nearly gave up on it several times. This book had the potential to be really fantastic, but for me it's distinctly average. After seeing other five star reviews on here, I do have to wonder if maybe I've read a different book from everyone else- but this book just really wasn't my cup of tea at all.
I liked the premise of the novel and in places it is well written- it's just for me the `good' bits are few and far between and don't compensate for the rest of the story. I do however think the author should be praised for tackling such a subject, and one which was clearly very personal to her.
I suppose my main problem with this book was that for me, the protagonists `voice' just didn't work; particularly as the plot jumps all over the place from present day to Grace as a child and then back again she recaps her memories so there's a *lot* for her to say. I found it very jarring and a bit disorientating if I'm honest, though I think even if the book had been a bit more linear it still would have made me feel this, as aspects of the prose used were clunky and disjointed. I felt the author was trying too hard to be poetic- she uses five words when one or two would have done instead. Sometimes Grace was also very loquacious, yet at other times lapsed into a more childish way of thinking, which didn't always make sense.
The book contains aspects of sexual and physical abuse from the medical professionals at the institution which was hard to read, as well as rather graphic descriptions of toilet habits, which the author certainly doesn't shy away from, so this book is certainly not for the faint hearted. It does make you think however, about how people in institutions were treated and the horrors that they went through, so clearly touches a nerve and feels very raw and real.
There is some very good characterisation in this book however, which is another positive. The romance between Grace and Daniel was poignant and touching and is for me, what prevents this book from being a mere two-star read. Some of the other secondary characters too, are wonderful- though as we see them from Grace's perspective I did feel a sense of detachment from them in places.
As so many other people have loved this book, maybe this is one you should try for yourself; as for me, I doubt I would read any books by this author in future.
I wanted to adore this book, really I did- but I couldn't. I found it such a struggle to get into and nearly gave up on it several times. This book had the potential to be really fantastic, but for me it's distinctly average. After seeing other five star reviews on here, I do have to wonder if maybe I've read a different book from everyone else- but this book just really wasn't my cup of tea at all.
I liked the premise of the novel and in places it is well written- it's just for me the `good' bits are few and far between and don't compensate for the rest of the story. I do however think the author should be praised for tackling such a subject, and one which was clearly very personal to her.
I suppose my main problem with this book was that for me, the protagonists `voice' just didn't work; particularly as the plot jumps all over the place from present day to Grace as a child and then back again she recaps her memories so there's a *lot* for her to say. I found it very jarring and a bit disorientating if I'm honest, though I think even if the book had been a bit more linear it still would have made me feel this, as aspects of the prose used were clunky and disjointed. I felt the author was trying too hard to be poetic- she uses five words when one or two would have done instead. Sometimes Grace was also very loquacious, yet at other times lapsed into a more childish way of thinking, which didn't always make sense.
The book contains aspects of sexual and physical abuse from the medical professionals at the institution which was hard to read, as well as rather graphic descriptions of toilet habits, which the author certainly doesn't shy away from, so this book is certainly not for the faint hearted. It does make you think however, about how people in institutions were treated and the horrors that they went through, so clearly touches a nerve and feels very raw and real.
There is some very good characterisation in this book however, which is another positive. The romance between Grace and Daniel was poignant and touching and is for me, what prevents this book from being a mere two-star read. Some of the other secondary characters too, are wonderful- though as we see them from Grace's perspective I did feel a sense of detachment from them in places.
As so many other people have loved this book, maybe this is one you should try for yourself; as for me, I doubt I would read any books by this author in future.
June 5, 2011
A heartbreaking yet funny novel. I really felt close to the characters and was moved to tears for poor Grace at some points. This really put things in a new perspective for me. Very well written.
July 4, 2011
Conflicted.
That is the first word that comes to mind with this book. Emma Henderson's writing is superb. Her scatterbrained writing elevates Grace's situation more so. The characterisation is sublime and always on point. Which makes you want to know more about the cast but yet still feel satisfied about who you are spending your time with. For these points alone I could say it was a five star book.
However, the story itself and the pacing of the novel brought it down, for me. It's a heartbreaking book, and that's putting it mildly. Much of Graces life is filled with abuse of all kinds and while it lends credence to the plot and reveals some moments of uplifting sweetness, it becomes incredibly overbearing. At one point, halfway in, I actually became so morose that I wanted to give up reading it.
I can understand these plot points are there to drive the story, but when these saddening and horrific moments arrive every 40-odd pages it becomes a little too intense. Especially when the romance between Grace and Daniel is so beautiful and sweet. There is a moment when Grace reflects on a memory of her Mother (I won't spoil it) and it was so heartbreaking that I actually paused and closed the book for a while before I could carry on.
I also felt that the ending didn't quite hit what I wanted after such a story. The less said on this the better, really. But overall, while the novel has some great points, in the end it just became a bit too much.
That is the first word that comes to mind with this book. Emma Henderson's writing is superb. Her scatterbrained writing elevates Grace's situation more so. The characterisation is sublime and always on point. Which makes you want to know more about the cast but yet still feel satisfied about who you are spending your time with. For these points alone I could say it was a five star book.
However, the story itself and the pacing of the novel brought it down, for me. It's a heartbreaking book, and that's putting it mildly. Much of Graces life is filled with abuse of all kinds and while it lends credence to the plot and reveals some moments of uplifting sweetness, it becomes incredibly overbearing. At one point, halfway in, I actually became so morose that I wanted to give up reading it.
I can understand these plot points are there to drive the story, but when these saddening and horrific moments arrive every 40-odd pages it becomes a little too intense. Especially when the romance between Grace and Daniel is so beautiful and sweet. There is a moment when Grace reflects on a memory of her Mother (I won't spoil it) and it was so heartbreaking that I actually paused and closed the book for a while before I could carry on.
I also felt that the ending didn't quite hit what I wanted after such a story. The less said on this the better, really. But overall, while the novel has some great points, in the end it just became a bit too much.
September 17, 2014
What a tough book this was to read. I went through stages of anger, indignation, happiness and also sadness, while reading Grace's story. I imagine it must have been difficult to give shape to the inner world and experiences of the outer world of someone who cannot communicate her feelings and thoughts accurately in either speech or writing. Who really knows how disabled people were (are?) treated? As the above quote demonstrates, the Briar Mental Institute staff does not hold a high opinion of their clients. The doctors and nurses can be downright insulting... and physically and mentally abusive. It is so easy to take advantage of someone who has difficulties expressing their opinion, and if they somehow managed to relate their story, nobody would believe them. They are, after all, just a bunch of crazies. It is not clear to me whether this is something that only used to happen in the past, but I doubt all institutionalised individuals in the West are getting the respect they deserve. The sexual abuse was particularly grating, and it reminded me of this Dutch swimming teacher who only recently was convicted for molesting intellectually disabled girls.
As for Grace's story itself, it had many beautiful parts in it as well. Of course she realises that she has always been different, but she does feel loved. She accepts her situation (up to a certain point...), mostly with the help of Daniel. I think he has Progeria syndrome, which causes his appearance to be prematurely aged. But even without his arms (which he lost in a car accident), he is so nimble and so full of vigour. Their little getaway is one of the sweetest parts of the book. I am a sucker for love stories!
I truly hope that, after reading this book, people will look at people who are slightly off the "normal" scale with new eyes. How can we know what others truly think? Is it so strange to believe that their existence is just as meaningful as ours, their thoughts and emotions as complex as everyone else's?
As for Grace's story itself, it had many beautiful parts in it as well. Of course she realises that she has always been different, but she does feel loved. She accepts her situation (up to a certain point...), mostly with the help of Daniel. I think he has Progeria syndrome, which causes his appearance to be prematurely aged. But even without his arms (which he lost in a car accident), he is so nimble and so full of vigour. Their little getaway is one of the sweetest parts of the book. I am a sucker for love stories!
I truly hope that, after reading this book, people will look at people who are slightly off the "normal" scale with new eyes. How can we know what others truly think? Is it so strange to believe that their existence is just as meaningful as ours, their thoughts and emotions as complex as everyone else's?
September 28, 2010
I read this book pretty quickly over about two days, not because it was particularly compelling, but because I was afraid that if I put it down, I'd lose sense of the characters and where I was in the narrative. Because the main character, Grace, is a patient in a mental institution, locked inside an uncooperative body, unable to speak more than a few words at a time, branded "uneducable" by the system. The main body of the story spans roughly a decade, from about 1960 to 1970, with a bit of "before" and a bit of "after". Not so much "Girl, Interrupted" as "Girl, Ignored" -- most of the other characters exist on the fringes, but Grace's best friend, Daniel -- an epileptic who lost both his arms in an accident -- is painted sympathetically and movingly. Their relationship is a romance of a sort, keeping in mind that Grace doesn't have the context or the language to define "romance" via average societal expectations. This is not a book to dip in and out of -- it requires attention -- but it is not "hard" reading, despite some of the uncomfortable scenes (hey, would YOU like to be a patient in a pretty average mental institution circa 1965?). Grace is at times frustrating, at times triumphant, but mostly just very, very normal -- inside her head. The end is bittersweet, as you'd expect. I wouldn't read it again, but I would recommend it.
October 17, 2011
Well, it's a difficult subject and hats off to the author for tackling it. I think I really wanted to like it more than I actually did. However, it is extremely well written and I like the feisty character of Grace who the author wants us to believe has an active mind trapped in an inactive body. However, it is a book that only gives a very bleak view of care given to those with profound disabilities. It is a very grim portrayal without giving many redeeming qualities to residential care or nursing staff. I found it difficult to come to terms with the idea that there was such an active brain trapped inside such a physically handicapped body. I loved the character of Daniel and his father proved to be an interesting rogue. It is heartbreaking in parts but also amusing. However, it is not quite the love story that is implied from the blurb. The abuse and treatment of Grace is appalling but the her remembered scenes with her family are touching. Her final journey from residential care to a different type of care shows how the difference in attitudes can have such a powerful influence. It is not an easy read being both depressing and upsetting but worth reading.
June 8, 2011
This is deservedly nominated for the Orange prize. Grace Williams is the most wonderful creation, it was easy to fall in love with her in these pages.
Whilst the two main characters (and many of the minor ones) have severe disabilities, the main message for me was that we are all more alike than we are different.
The saddest fact about Grace's story is that it is so true to life - many people with disabilities were treated terribly in the years that Emma Henderson writes about here. And some still are I suppose.
There are many painful episodes in the book where Grace tells of how she is treated and the kinds of language that is used by her carers to describe her - spazzo and cretin being used often. Hard to read, but I'm sure, grounded in reality.
But this is not a "triumph against the odds" type of story. Rather it's about how we all live our lives - the small daily pleasures and the connections with others that makes it all meaningful. Beautifully written - Grace's wordplay is a delight - and very worth reading.
Whilst the two main characters (and many of the minor ones) have severe disabilities, the main message for me was that we are all more alike than we are different.
The saddest fact about Grace's story is that it is so true to life - many people with disabilities were treated terribly in the years that Emma Henderson writes about here. And some still are I suppose.
There are many painful episodes in the book where Grace tells of how she is treated and the kinds of language that is used by her carers to describe her - spazzo and cretin being used often. Hard to read, but I'm sure, grounded in reality.
But this is not a "triumph against the odds" type of story. Rather it's about how we all live our lives - the small daily pleasures and the connections with others that makes it all meaningful. Beautifully written - Grace's wordplay is a delight - and very worth reading.
August 6, 2013
This looked like a happy book. "Grace Williams says it loud" looped in bold cursive across the cover, friendly and inviting. But this is not a happy book, and Grace doesn't say it loud - she barely speaks out loud at all.
Grace has an unspecified mental illness which has caused doctors to tell her parents she's a right-off - a spastic, ineducable. Her parents listen, and Grace is institutionalised in 1956 at the age of ten, to grow up in the children's unit at the Briar. It's dismal. Every horrible thing that could happen in such a place, at such an un-PC time, does happen.
If this is a love story, as promised by the friendly cursive, it's not much of one - and a tragic one to boot, for we know at the outset that Daniel is to die. We're just along for every other miserable occurrence as we countdown to that predetermined end.
I suppose we are supposed to view it as uplifting, as redemptive, as Grace goes on despite the trials of life at the Briar. I did not find it uplifting. Read if you can stomach a good dose of the ugliness of humanity.
Grace has an unspecified mental illness which has caused doctors to tell her parents she's a right-off - a spastic, ineducable. Her parents listen, and Grace is institutionalised in 1956 at the age of ten, to grow up in the children's unit at the Briar. It's dismal. Every horrible thing that could happen in such a place, at such an un-PC time, does happen.
If this is a love story, as promised by the friendly cursive, it's not much of one - and a tragic one to boot, for we know at the outset that Daniel is to die. We're just along for every other miserable occurrence as we countdown to that predetermined end.
I suppose we are supposed to view it as uplifting, as redemptive, as Grace goes on despite the trials of life at the Briar. I did not find it uplifting. Read if you can stomach a good dose of the ugliness of humanity.
December 19, 2019
A difficult read... a difficult subject told from the prospective of a girl born with a severe disability and parents advised to put her away having spent her first years in a somewhat loving family in the fifties. The mental institutions of the time as we know were not conducive to happy days and caring environments and this story is challenging on that front. The kindness of a few softened the story but I found it confronting ( and thank goodness for the changes in our thinking we have taken over the years Re disabilities and acceptance ) I read half the book and couldn’t go any further... something I rarely do! I skipped to the ending and was glad that I hadn’t challenged myself to plough through the lot!!
Couldn’t recommend this one...
Couldn’t recommend this one...
January 11, 2014
A different read. I cannot say that i found it compelling but it is a subject matter not often written about, and it is written from a different perspective. I'd say this is a good read, though nothing to write home about.
May 31, 2011
I didn't like this book. I found it depressing. I didn't like the way it was written, chopping and jumping around. I found it hard to follow.
December 3, 2012
I am not a misery lit person: I do not read sad reveal all novels about past miseries although I am often attracted to books set in mental institutions (see also Girl, Interrupted, The Bell Jar, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest etc etc) and a particular type of contemporary fiction that this slots neatly into, making Grace Williams Says it Loud tick several boxes for me.
I'm pointing out my dislike - and, to be quite honest, extreme distaste - for misery lit so that you don't think that this book fits into that category. This is not one of those A Child Called "It" books. To label as such would be a waste and a mistake as it is a charming and sweetly sincere read.
It is based on the authors sisters life growing up in a mental institution from the 1950s onwards in England. There are some slightly harrowing moments of abuse here but I really felt that the whole book was light-hearted as a rule, despite these and Grace's many troubles and ailments, both physical and mental. Grace takes her abuse bravely and incredibly stoically and so while you may find those scenes melancholy or distressing, I found them integral to the plot and feel of the novel and especially appropriate to the time its set in.
I did enjoy this book but I didn't love it though I think that might be down to me rather than any fault of Emma Henderson. This is a well-written, clearly imagined and extremely moreish book and I found myself racing through it. (And it softened the blow when my friend was 40 minutes late!) At times the vignette style of writing can be slightly distracting - not hard to read, just rattled through a bit fast - for the most part is it well suited to Grace's own character and personality albeit with a bit of leeway. Her day-dreaming mental life was written rather beautifully, I thought.
I wished well for Grace although I didn't love her and I found the general outcome of her relationship with Daniel, the other key character, really disappointing although I couldn't imagine it any other way. Perhaps it was disappointing because it was what I was expecting when really I was hoping for more. I especially enjoyed the changing role of her sister Sarah, the one beacon in a mismatched, scattered family.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Girls by Lori Lansens. It is a story about conjoined twins and although the plot, characters, setting and period are all different, I feel that you might like it too.
I'm pointing out my dislike - and, to be quite honest, extreme distaste - for misery lit so that you don't think that this book fits into that category. This is not one of those A Child Called "It" books. To label as such would be a waste and a mistake as it is a charming and sweetly sincere read.
It is based on the authors sisters life growing up in a mental institution from the 1950s onwards in England. There are some slightly harrowing moments of abuse here but I really felt that the whole book was light-hearted as a rule, despite these and Grace's many troubles and ailments, both physical and mental. Grace takes her abuse bravely and incredibly stoically and so while you may find those scenes melancholy or distressing, I found them integral to the plot and feel of the novel and especially appropriate to the time its set in.
I did enjoy this book but I didn't love it though I think that might be down to me rather than any fault of Emma Henderson. This is a well-written, clearly imagined and extremely moreish book and I found myself racing through it. (And it softened the blow when my friend was 40 minutes late!) At times the vignette style of writing can be slightly distracting - not hard to read, just rattled through a bit fast - for the most part is it well suited to Grace's own character and personality albeit with a bit of leeway. Her day-dreaming mental life was written rather beautifully, I thought.
I wished well for Grace although I didn't love her and I found the general outcome of her relationship with Daniel, the other key character, really disappointing although I couldn't imagine it any other way. Perhaps it was disappointing because it was what I was expecting when really I was hoping for more. I especially enjoyed the changing role of her sister Sarah, the one beacon in a mismatched, scattered family.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Girls by Lori Lansens. It is a story about conjoined twins and although the plot, characters, setting and period are all different, I feel that you might like it too.
August 7, 2011
The Story ~
'Grace Williams Says its Loud' is the story of Grace Henderson, a story which she narrates. Grace was born with severe disabilities which became worse due to Poliomyelitis (Polio). Grace is eventually sent to Briar House where she meets Daniel, a debonair, individualistic boy who suffers from epilepsy and has no arms following a tragic accident. Grace and Daniel are there for the same reason, their health problems, Grace's parents tries desperately to keep Grace at home and care for her but they are advised by Grace's doctors that Briar House is the best place for her, Grace's parents feelings of guilt cause problems in their marriage.
Grace and Daniel's friendships develops as the story progresses and they fall in love, Daniel shows Grace a world of hopes and dreams, which they can both achieve.
What I thought of 'Grace Williams Says its Loud' ~
I have mixed feelings about the book, it was well written and insightful but at the same time, it did make me feel slightly non plus because I felt that Grace deserved more and because of the time which the book is set in (from the 1950s onwards), Grace had to face ignorance from people who did not understand her, which is part of Grace's story and her growth as a person but even at the end, I still felt she deserved more. Grace is a likeable character, very warm and memorable, as was Daniel, he kept the story going with his enthusiasm and his relationship with Grace.
The book also showed how dire it was in care homes during the 1950s onwards which frankly infuriated me, I understood that in the 1950s, situations were swept under the carpet but I could not helping wishing that someone would protect Grace, Daniel and the residents, take a stand but it never happened and as loud as Grace spoke, she never told anyone what was happening because tragically she did not understand, which saddened me more because she had been let down so badly.
'Grace Williams Says its Loud' is the story of Grace Henderson, a story which she narrates. Grace was born with severe disabilities which became worse due to Poliomyelitis (Polio). Grace is eventually sent to Briar House where she meets Daniel, a debonair, individualistic boy who suffers from epilepsy and has no arms following a tragic accident. Grace and Daniel are there for the same reason, their health problems, Grace's parents tries desperately to keep Grace at home and care for her but they are advised by Grace's doctors that Briar House is the best place for her, Grace's parents feelings of guilt cause problems in their marriage.
Grace and Daniel's friendships develops as the story progresses and they fall in love, Daniel shows Grace a world of hopes and dreams, which they can both achieve.
What I thought of 'Grace Williams Says its Loud' ~
I have mixed feelings about the book, it was well written and insightful but at the same time, it did make me feel slightly non plus because I felt that Grace deserved more and because of the time which the book is set in (from the 1950s onwards), Grace had to face ignorance from people who did not understand her, which is part of Grace's story and her growth as a person but even at the end, I still felt she deserved more. Grace is a likeable character, very warm and memorable, as was Daniel, he kept the story going with his enthusiasm and his relationship with Grace.
The book also showed how dire it was in care homes during the 1950s onwards which frankly infuriated me, I understood that in the 1950s, situations were swept under the carpet but I could not helping wishing that someone would protect Grace, Daniel and the residents, take a stand but it never happened and as loud as Grace spoke, she never told anyone what was happening because tragically she did not understand, which saddened me more because she had been let down so badly.
December 18, 2011
Emma Henderson’s book is ambitious, moving and tackles very serious issues about society’s attitude to disabled people.
(I can’t believe this book was compared to Emma Donoghue’s ‘Room’ which I found to be a formulaic ‘beach read’ and boring considering the subject matter!)
My only frustration with the book was in the pacing and style of writing. I found this to be a big problem. The writing is beautiful but somewhat jarring in that events presented from the POV of the main character are shown to the reader almost as list of facts. I understand that this is because Grace is institutionalised by the horrific attitudes at the Briar. However, it has the effect of her presenting sexual abuse almost in the same way as she describes a box of cakes. Grace’s narrative voice is muted, sobering and mostly unquestioning. This is a chaotic way to plot the book and I found it a bit of a chore, often putting down the book or leaving it for a few days. This book certainly needs momentum. If you put it down you’re unlikely to want to pick it up, which is a shame.
I’m not surprised Emma Henderson has personal experience of the issues as you really feel that you are eyewitness to the terrible attitudes in the 50s and 60s. There is some reprieve from that later in the book. The relationship between Grace and Daniel is incredibly poignant at times and they are easily some of the most interesting characterisations I’ve come across. From other reviews I’ve read, this is a book to persevere with because of the brilliant subject matter and characterisation but it may be more of a battle to get through than most.
(I can’t believe this book was compared to Emma Donoghue’s ‘Room’ which I found to be a formulaic ‘beach read’ and boring considering the subject matter!)
My only frustration with the book was in the pacing and style of writing. I found this to be a big problem. The writing is beautiful but somewhat jarring in that events presented from the POV of the main character are shown to the reader almost as list of facts. I understand that this is because Grace is institutionalised by the horrific attitudes at the Briar. However, it has the effect of her presenting sexual abuse almost in the same way as she describes a box of cakes. Grace’s narrative voice is muted, sobering and mostly unquestioning. This is a chaotic way to plot the book and I found it a bit of a chore, often putting down the book or leaving it for a few days. This book certainly needs momentum. If you put it down you’re unlikely to want to pick it up, which is a shame.
I’m not surprised Emma Henderson has personal experience of the issues as you really feel that you are eyewitness to the terrible attitudes in the 50s and 60s. There is some reprieve from that later in the book. The relationship between Grace and Daniel is incredibly poignant at times and they are easily some of the most interesting characterisations I’ve come across. From other reviews I’ve read, this is a book to persevere with because of the brilliant subject matter and characterisation but it may be more of a battle to get through than most.
October 6, 2012
I was confused by this. Sometimes it seemed that Grace could talk normally, sometimes it seemed she couldn't. Sometimes she seemed to be severely disabled, sometimes slightly disabled. Maybe it would have helped it I knew what was wrong with her, but I think the reader was supposed to work it out from clues(she was very small, she had some sort of problem with her tongue, and she appeared to have a learning difficulty or maybe developmental issues). The trouble is I have no idea what they indicate.
The writing style didn't help me understand Grace either. It was in the first person and Grace was the narrator. But it seemed to consist of "this happened" or "this happened and I did that". There was rarely anything which gave an insight into her motivation and I didn't understand why she reacted to some things in the way she did.
In particular, I didn't get the sense that this was a great love story (but that might partly be due to my confusion about Grace). It seemed to me that Grace and Daniel hooked up because they each recognised that the other was the best match available in the circumstances, so there was more than a little bit of pragmatism in their relationship.
So although I wanted to like this, I just didn't get it.
The writing style didn't help me understand Grace either. It was in the first person and Grace was the narrator. But it seemed to consist of "this happened" or "this happened and I did that". There was rarely anything which gave an insight into her motivation and I didn't understand why she reacted to some things in the way she did.
In particular, I didn't get the sense that this was a great love story (but that might partly be due to my confusion about Grace). It seemed to me that Grace and Daniel hooked up because they each recognised that the other was the best match available in the circumstances, so there was more than a little bit of pragmatism in their relationship.
So although I wanted to like this, I just didn't get it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2016
3.5 stars. The story of Grace, who everyone thinks is mentally deficient but actually enjoys words and stories and is rather perceptive. And her boyfriend, Daniel, the armless story-teller who can fill in the blanks. And Grace's life at home and then at the mental institute. And growing up. And good times and bad. Besides that, there is some wonderful alliteration which I only picked up on when I read bits of the book out loud to my dogs. This is a little ironic seeing as Grace's clumsy tongue makes it difficult for her to speak more than one or two words, yet the words in her head make one's tongue leap quite gymnastically. I enjoyed this book. I'd find it difficult to tell who else would.
June 1, 2013
I thought this book was really cleverly written. It is a challenging read - challenging because it looks things in the eye which most of us shy away from. It breaks down preconceived ideas, prejudice and assumptions.
It is grim at times, sad, heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting. I thought the characterisation was amazing. The narrative style skillfully portrays a clever woman trapped inside the body of somebody who has limited ability to communicate.
The love story was movingly beautiful but gritty and not over sentimental.
Fabulous debut!
It is grim at times, sad, heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting. I thought the characterisation was amazing. The narrative style skillfully portrays a clever woman trapped inside the body of somebody who has limited ability to communicate.
The love story was movingly beautiful but gritty and not over sentimental.
Fabulous debut!
September 26, 2023
Time taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 325
Publisher - Sphere
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
The doctors said no more could be done and advised Grace's parents to put her away. On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace, aged eleven, meets Daniel. Debonair Daniel, an epileptic who can type with his feet, sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. A deeply affecting, spirit-soaring story of love against the odds.
My Review
Grace Williams is a child born in a time where when you are anything but perfect the only place for you really is an institution. Grace has physical and mental development issues and her family end up taking her to Briar Mental Institute, run by medical "professionals" who care for children/adults with a broad spectrum of issues. Grace is pre teen when she arrives and we follow her up until she is an adult and her next chapter in life arrives. Grace meets Daniel (amongst others) who has no arms and epilepsy, they develop a friendship then more as time goes on.
I don't know what I expected from this book and it has many reviews where it is loved/praised so I think it was just a bit lost on me. The parts I liked I really liked but the parts I didn't and felt uncomfortable with really overshadowed it overall. The abuse in the book, both told directly and some just hinted at seemed to be a theme within these types of places and it is documented in history how abused people with any kind of disability where.
Grace's voice in the book, for me I struggled with too as some of the descriptions/events/things she experienced I found myself engaged then others - like her use of the C word, I just didn't see that fitting with what we knew/learnt of her character. Some parts of the story were really crude and again I just didn't find that in flow with what I had read. The timeline jumped around a bit too, in memories and I needed to go back a few pages to see if I had missed something.
The way the patients where treated, spoke about as if they were nothing, less than nothing and at times not even there, it was really heartbreaking and hard going. I know how badly abused individuals with disabilities were treated historically and I guess that is what the author was trying to emphasise and absolutely did that. I think what I am trying to say is it is difficult to read and evokes emotional responses, I was angry, upset, outraged and saddened, it is fiction but still we know of the past and even now individuals are still treated poorly/abused.
As I say it is a book loved by many and if you have a strong resolve when it comes to individuals being hurt/mistreated/abused by those who should care/protect then you may well love this one. I would absolutely say give it a go as everyone is different but I can't say I enjoyed this or took much positive from it. For me 2.5/5, I do think Henderson has a good style of writing just this particular book isn't for me really.
Pages - 325
Publisher - Sphere
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
The doctors said no more could be done and advised Grace's parents to put her away. On her first day at the Briar Mental Institute, Grace, aged eleven, meets Daniel. Debonair Daniel, an epileptic who can type with his feet, sees a different Grace: someone to share secrets and canoodle with, someone to fight for. A deeply affecting, spirit-soaring story of love against the odds.
My Review
Grace Williams is a child born in a time where when you are anything but perfect the only place for you really is an institution. Grace has physical and mental development issues and her family end up taking her to Briar Mental Institute, run by medical "professionals" who care for children/adults with a broad spectrum of issues. Grace is pre teen when she arrives and we follow her up until she is an adult and her next chapter in life arrives. Grace meets Daniel (amongst others) who has no arms and epilepsy, they develop a friendship then more as time goes on.
I don't know what I expected from this book and it has many reviews where it is loved/praised so I think it was just a bit lost on me. The parts I liked I really liked but the parts I didn't and felt uncomfortable with really overshadowed it overall. The abuse in the book, both told directly and some just hinted at seemed to be a theme within these types of places and it is documented in history how abused people with any kind of disability where.
Grace's voice in the book, for me I struggled with too as some of the descriptions/events/things she experienced I found myself engaged then others - like her use of the C word, I just didn't see that fitting with what we knew/learnt of her character. Some parts of the story were really crude and again I just didn't find that in flow with what I had read. The timeline jumped around a bit too, in memories and I needed to go back a few pages to see if I had missed something.
The way the patients where treated, spoke about as if they were nothing, less than nothing and at times not even there, it was really heartbreaking and hard going. I know how badly abused individuals with disabilities were treated historically and I guess that is what the author was trying to emphasise and absolutely did that. I think what I am trying to say is it is difficult to read and evokes emotional responses, I was angry, upset, outraged and saddened, it is fiction but still we know of the past and even now individuals are still treated poorly/abused.
As I say it is a book loved by many and if you have a strong resolve when it comes to individuals being hurt/mistreated/abused by those who should care/protect then you may well love this one. I would absolutely say give it a go as everyone is different but I can't say I enjoyed this or took much positive from it. For me 2.5/5, I do think Henderson has a good style of writing just this particular book isn't for me really.
April 17, 2011
I can't decide between three or four stars for this shortlisted Orange Prize novel. Three for how there were times when I thought focus was lost -- or four for how the book lingered in my mind after completing it.
Emma Henderson's inspiration was her elder sister, who, like the title character, Grace, came to the world in the late 1940s with birth defects, soon exacerbated by polio. By age ten, Grace's parents are persuaded to send her to an institution, the Briar, which, of course, is destined to be a place where such children do not advance. It is rife with abuse, ranging from packages sent to patients not always reaching their destinations to sexual abuse. However, there are some dim rays of hope, seen through Miss Blackburn, the teacher, who insists that the children can be educated and earnestly cares for them as people.
And it is at the Briar where Grace meets Daniel, a half-French, half-British epileptic who lost his arms in an accident. A self-described autodidact, Daniel punctuates his sentences with French phrases and entertains Grace with engaging personality. The taciturn Grace speaks to him -- and we hear her voice as others hear her, rather than how we usually hear her thoughts. We know that Grace can be educated. We know that Grace thinks and has feelings. We are meant to feel for Grace and be angered about her situation. We are meant to challenge our own feelings regarding disability.
Although we learn about Grace's family here and there, even at the Briar through Grace's memories, most of the focus is on Grace's relationship with Daniel, which, eventually, brings us back to her family, as her younger sister Sarah, years later, becomes involved. Sarah once hated visiting Grace in the Briar, but as the years go by, Sarah becomes Grace's main champion.
Emma Henderson's inspiration was her elder sister, who, like the title character, Grace, came to the world in the late 1940s with birth defects, soon exacerbated by polio. By age ten, Grace's parents are persuaded to send her to an institution, the Briar, which, of course, is destined to be a place where such children do not advance. It is rife with abuse, ranging from packages sent to patients not always reaching their destinations to sexual abuse. However, there are some dim rays of hope, seen through Miss Blackburn, the teacher, who insists that the children can be educated and earnestly cares for them as people.
And it is at the Briar where Grace meets Daniel, a half-French, half-British epileptic who lost his arms in an accident. A self-described autodidact, Daniel punctuates his sentences with French phrases and entertains Grace with engaging personality. The taciturn Grace speaks to him -- and we hear her voice as others hear her, rather than how we usually hear her thoughts. We know that Grace can be educated. We know that Grace thinks and has feelings. We are meant to feel for Grace and be angered about her situation. We are meant to challenge our own feelings regarding disability.
Although we learn about Grace's family here and there, even at the Briar through Grace's memories, most of the focus is on Grace's relationship with Daniel, which, eventually, brings us back to her family, as her younger sister Sarah, years later, becomes involved. Sarah once hated visiting Grace in the Briar, but as the years go by, Sarah becomes Grace's main champion.
November 28, 2012
Semi-autobiographical.
What lifted this book above a four star read was the knowledge that the author's older sister had been consigned to an asylum at a similar age and the experiences described for Grace were based on Ms Henderson's memories of her sister.
On the other hand, I did feel the complicated descriptions of Grace's feelings and thoughts, in all their detail, were a bit unbelievable as having come from someone who was "not just not perfect, but damaged. deficient, mangled in body and mind" (P 11).
We meet Grace in 1947, as a baby with developmental problems. She is loved by her parents, older sister and brother, but was born into a time when the support for such a child was not available and the only advice given was to institutionalise her. This was a traumatic time for the whole family as they drove her to The Briar and left her behind.
Fortunately for Grace, she meets Daniel on her first day at The Briar. Daniel has lost both arms and is epileptic but he sees in Grace something that others have missed and their blossoming friendship is beautifully described.
The institution is as ugly as we would expect and rife with abuse and neglect. We sense the despair of the inmates and the filth and degredation they must endure. But Grace gives a positive spin too, as she makes a life within the walls of The Briar.
Although not an easy read emotionally, this was a gripping book. It reminded me of Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (4 stars), a memoir telling of similar treatment for depression in the same era.
Highly recommended.
What lifted this book above a four star read was the knowledge that the author's older sister had been consigned to an asylum at a similar age and the experiences described for Grace were based on Ms Henderson's memories of her sister.
On the other hand, I did feel the complicated descriptions of Grace's feelings and thoughts, in all their detail, were a bit unbelievable as having come from someone who was "not just not perfect, but damaged. deficient, mangled in body and mind" (P 11).
We meet Grace in 1947, as a baby with developmental problems. She is loved by her parents, older sister and brother, but was born into a time when the support for such a child was not available and the only advice given was to institutionalise her. This was a traumatic time for the whole family as they drove her to The Briar and left her behind.
Fortunately for Grace, she meets Daniel on her first day at The Briar. Daniel has lost both arms and is epileptic but he sees in Grace something that others have missed and their blossoming friendship is beautifully described.
The institution is as ugly as we would expect and rife with abuse and neglect. We sense the despair of the inmates and the filth and degredation they must endure. But Grace gives a positive spin too, as she makes a life within the walls of The Briar.
Although not an easy read emotionally, this was a gripping book. It reminded me of Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (4 stars), a memoir telling of similar treatment for depression in the same era.
Highly recommended.
March 5, 2016
Who'd have thought that I would read two books about institutionalized people who don't speak in a row? You can bet I sure didn't, and I don't think I want to do it again. This book was lame. I can't think of how else to say it. It's heralded as like, compelling and mesmerizing and all those type of ~*adjectives, but it was just boring and, well, lame. I just can't think of another word for it, it's lame. I had no idea what Grace was actually inflicted with, either. I spent literally the whole book trying to remember if she could talk or not, because I thought the book jacket had indicated she couldn't, and then she's gabbing on with Daniel the whole time, and her family seems to talk to her, and then towards the end everyone's like "Grace doesn't speak, she's always just mumbled and made sounds" and I'm sitting here thinking WHERE WAS I WHEN THIS DISCUSSION HAPPENED. I also was kind of offended that the author waited so long to tell me that DANIEL HAS NO ARMS. When I tried to describe this book to my mom, she actually started laughing because it just sounded so ridiculous: a girl who doesn't talk moves into an institution and befriends a boy with no arms. You can't make this stuff up.
Everything about this was unsatisfying, and the only bits that went by quickly were towards the end when the author decided to actually start trying to be interesting and move the plot along. Which, I mean, I guess I'm grateful for.
Everything about this was unsatisfying, and the only bits that went by quickly were towards the end when the author decided to actually start trying to be interesting and move the plot along. Which, I mean, I guess I'm grateful for.
August 1, 2011
Well it wasn't a comfortable read throughout. Sometimes the hardest stories to read are the ones that need to be told the most.
Grace Williams is introduced to us as a profoundly disabled baby. We hear her voice from a very early age. We see her view of the world, which at times is so cruel & heartfelt, it's difficult to read through each sentence. She lives in a world where it was commonplace for the authorities to pressure parents to institutionalise ineducable children. I found the description of her years at The Briar mental institution harrowing, but I couldn't abandon her. I needed to find out what happened to her.
Her relationship with Daniel was in a way ordinary & also magical. They loved, teased and had a sexual (often inventive) relationship like any teenager. Yet the magic was how they managed to forget about the harsh reality around them when they were together. They got through appalling abuse & treatment at the hands of fellow inmates & nurses/doctors/carers.
If all this sounds too much to bear, you may be surprised to hear that the ending left me feeling uplifted and contended about how Grace's life of supported independent living panned out. I also would like to believe that the author, who based the novel on her sister's similar situation, experiences and upbringing, did see as happy an outcome for her sister as she portrayed for Grace.
Grace Williams is introduced to us as a profoundly disabled baby. We hear her voice from a very early age. We see her view of the world, which at times is so cruel & heartfelt, it's difficult to read through each sentence. She lives in a world where it was commonplace for the authorities to pressure parents to institutionalise ineducable children. I found the description of her years at The Briar mental institution harrowing, but I couldn't abandon her. I needed to find out what happened to her.
Her relationship with Daniel was in a way ordinary & also magical. They loved, teased and had a sexual (often inventive) relationship like any teenager. Yet the magic was how they managed to forget about the harsh reality around them when they were together. They got through appalling abuse & treatment at the hands of fellow inmates & nurses/doctors/carers.
If all this sounds too much to bear, you may be surprised to hear that the ending left me feeling uplifted and contended about how Grace's life of supported independent living panned out. I also would like to believe that the author, who based the novel on her sister's similar situation, experiences and upbringing, did see as happy an outcome for her sister as she portrayed for Grace.
May 15, 2011
From its opening dedication to the late Clare Henderson, I wondered if Emma Henderson was writing this story from personal experience. When I finished it this afternoon a quick search revealed that indeed her older sister had been institutionalized for decades and here some years after her death Emma was giving her a voice through the vehicle of fiction.
"How many brothers and sisters have you got?"
"Two brothers and two sisters, but one of them doesn’t count."
That’s what I used to say, as a child, about my sister. Defective, deficient, physically handicapped, mentally subnormal. Those words whirled in my head, but so did the grim semi-silence that met my questions about the sister who lived in a mental hospital, which we visited, and which terrified me. Article from Daily Mail.
This is a beautiful, heart-breaking novel which at times was quite difficult to read given some of the things that take place in the mental hospital but I am glad I did. One is left with an impression of love, from her family, some of Grace's fellow patients and especially the central love story between Grace and sweet Daniel.
"How many brothers and sisters have you got?"
"Two brothers and two sisters, but one of them doesn’t count."
That’s what I used to say, as a child, about my sister. Defective, deficient, physically handicapped, mentally subnormal. Those words whirled in my head, but so did the grim semi-silence that met my questions about the sister who lived in a mental hospital, which we visited, and which terrified me. Article from Daily Mail.
This is a beautiful, heart-breaking novel which at times was quite difficult to read given some of the things that take place in the mental hospital but I am glad I did. One is left with an impression of love, from her family, some of Grace's fellow patients and especially the central love story between Grace and sweet Daniel.
January 31, 2013
This debut novel by Emma Henderson who has drawn on her personal experiences to base the research behind this story is a joy to read. If you're looking for something different that isn't your normal feel good story then this is for you.
The story centres around Grace who lives in the Briar Mental Institution and spans her life from pre-adolescence to womanhood. Life inside the Briar isn't always as it's meant to be but then there's always Daniel. Daniel is also a patient in the Briar, we watch his relationship with Grace develop as the story progresses.
I found it readable and quite well written. It's quite depressing in some ways, as it does feature the abuse and degradation that the patients in mental institutions suffered at the hands of the staff who were supposedly caring for them. A lot of the abuse I felt was inferred rather than spelt out, although certain bits were a little more graphic in there nature than others.
I feel that this will be a marmite book due to it's content.
I will be on the look out for more books by this Author. I'm glad I read it and I think it will be better read in larger chunks than I was able to at the start.
The story centres around Grace who lives in the Briar Mental Institution and spans her life from pre-adolescence to womanhood. Life inside the Briar isn't always as it's meant to be but then there's always Daniel. Daniel is also a patient in the Briar, we watch his relationship with Grace develop as the story progresses.
I found it readable and quite well written. It's quite depressing in some ways, as it does feature the abuse and degradation that the patients in mental institutions suffered at the hands of the staff who were supposedly caring for them. A lot of the abuse I felt was inferred rather than spelt out, although certain bits were a little more graphic in there nature than others.
I feel that this will be a marmite book due to it's content.
I will be on the look out for more books by this Author. I'm glad I read it and I think it will be better read in larger chunks than I was able to at the start.
June 7, 2011
I was a bit dubious about reading this to start with as it sounds all a bit gimmicky, but actually thought it was fabulous. It's narrated by Grace, who is - I forget the exact details - but born with some kind of mental disability and then gets polio aged six which withers an arm and leg - she's considered to be 'ineducable' and at the age of ten is institutionalised by her family. The author has managed to tell the story of someone who could never tell her own story.
The story is basically all about her friendship with a boy called Daniel, who has no arms. Though I think the depiction of Grace's family through time is the best bit: watching how her parents and siblings relationships with her change over the years. I thought the relationship between Grace and her younger sister Sarah who was born after she went into the home was very well portrayed. Grace's parents were more or less told to forget about Grace and try again with another baby.
It's a sad story really, but full of uplifting happy bits and I'm pleased I read it.
The story is basically all about her friendship with a boy called Daniel, who has no arms. Though I think the depiction of Grace's family through time is the best bit: watching how her parents and siblings relationships with her change over the years. I thought the relationship between Grace and her younger sister Sarah who was born after she went into the home was very well portrayed. Grace's parents were more or less told to forget about Grace and try again with another baby.
It's a sad story really, but full of uplifting happy bits and I'm pleased I read it.
September 17, 2011
I thought I would like this book more than I did, and whilst reading it I liked the story, but there were so many niggles I had with the way it was written that it put me off and made reading it a chore at times. Firstly, things that are written from a child's perspective always take a little getting used to with the quirky language. This was one of those books. I'd find myself having to reread sentences to make sense of them. Also, the swearing did put me off a bit. I'm not anti-swearing at all but it seemed too much in this book, and it was hard to see where Grace had even picked up the words. Finally, the book is set out in chapters that are named after years, and the book progresses chronologically, but within those chapters the time darts back and forth from past, to present, to future so much, sometimes without you even realising. It becomes a bit hard to follow after a while. Saying all that, the story itself I liked, I liked Grace and Daniel, and the second half of the book was definitely an improvement on the first which made it a worthwhile read.
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