In this riveting, beyond-belief true story from the author of The Borden Murders, meet the five children who captivated the entire world.When the Dionne Quintuplets 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 mesmerized the globe, defying medical history with … mesmerized the globe, 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. Here, Sarah Miller reconstructs their unprecedented upbringing with fresh depth and subtlety, bringing to new light their resilience and the indelible bond of their unique sisterhood.
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I had never heard of the Dionne Quintuplets until I read this book. I finished the book feeling angry and sad. Thinking back on it I think I was angry the entire time I read the book. How as a human did at anytime we think it was ok to look at them like caged animals? Yes, their birth in 1934 was a miracle in itself but to be put on display from almost day one?
Although this book is touted as an Young Adult book it should be read by adults as well. If nothing else, maybe we can all learn not to treat others as commodities but as equals.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Random House Children’s, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
The steam ebbed near the end & it was hard to get through.
Good, true story that dragged in spots. Sad commentary on a natural phenomena.
I have always followed the Dionne Quints through the years. I felt this book was the best one I’ve read that told it from the girl’s point of view; which is the only important point of view in this whole sad story. So very tragic.
The title says it all. Heartbreaking story….. I couldn’t put it down.
I have heard about the Dionnes all my life but I had no idea they had such a difficult life.
I knew some of the history of the Dionne quintuplets but it’s pretty shocking to read all the details. This book seems to cover all the details thoroughly. I pray for the remaining two.
This very thorough look at the lives of the quints filled in many gaps and explained things that had been hard to imagine.
I enjoyed this book, because I’ve always wondered what happened to the quints. It was well written.
Not what I was expecting. True story but I really didn’t enjoy it except for the beginning and some of the girls’ comments.
Another example of detrimental government intervention.
Spoiler alert: I had to stop reading when I found out that the quints were molested by their father.
Very moving glimpse into the reality of the lives of the famous Dionne Quintuplets. Sad tale of separation, exploitation, and destruction of a simple family from rural Ontario. The price of worldwide fame.
Always wondered about the Dionne quints. This book pretty much covers their story from the beginning.
Some facts I didn’t know. At times I felt quite sad at how the Mother was treated.
Fascinating account of the life of the Dionne quints.
It was not a happy read but I knew little about the quintuplets. I had always been curious about their story. Amazing that they even lived. I’m so glad I did read it.
Very interesting and informative.
The dramatic story of a family caught by necessity between the medical establishment, good samaritans, gov’t, and the world at large. The long and often sad and dramatic story of five little girls who deserved much more than they got, while all the world looked on and profited on them, A great informative, and well researched read.
The Dionne Quintuplets were 17 when I was born. By the time I heard of them they were not in the limelight as they once had been and I didn’t realize what a miracle they had been. Multiple births are old-hat now, but their birth was amazing, then and now. Naturally conceived quintuplets born at home in a farmhouse in 1934, some weighing only a pound, and they survived! From the moment they were born they were in the limelight. Many people sought to keep it this way and sought to exploit them. Their father was a poor farmer who was easily swayed by these shucksters who wanted to display them at the World’s Fair among other things. The Canadian government, partly to protect the quints and partly to cash in on this miracle basically took over “ownership” of the quints. They built a hospital/school across from their home that was state of the art at the time. The girls spent the first 9 years of their lives there behind a fence, viewed by long lines of people from all over the world as they went about their “normal” lives. This arrangement ruined their relationship with their parents and siblings who could visit only at certain times. This relationship was never mended. By the time they were ready to go out on their own, they were totally unaware of the ways of the world. Soon, all the money that had been invested for them over the years was gone, misspent and stolen by those who supposedly loved them most. This story is indeed a miracle and a tragedy. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.