C O N T E M P O R A R Y   F I C T I O N


cover of THE LIKES OF ME by Randall Beth Platt Randall Beth Platt's absorbing novel, The Likes of Me, was selected by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. The story, set during World War I, chronicles the adventures of Cordelia ("Cordy") Lu Hankins, a thirteen-year-old girl with albinism who is half-Caucasian, half-Chinese. Fed up with her authoritarian father, who heads a logging company, and her intimidating, gigantic stepmother, Cordy runs away from home in search of Squirl, a former employee of her father's who captured her heart with his carefree, daring spirit and knavish charisma. She ends up in Seattle's Luna Park, gaining fame and fortune as a sideshow star with Squirl at her side. But despite having been reunited with Squirl and bestowed with material comforts and admiration beyond her wildest imaginings, Cordy feels deeply dissatisfied with her new circumstances as she realizes that they are built entirely on artifice, manipulation, and her managers' insatiable thirst for money. When her stepmother's life becomes endangered, Cordy realizes that it is time to leave Luna Park behind and regain her integrity. Cordy's experience serves as a cautionary tale against letting oneself be deceived by superficial charm and exploited in exchange for love.

While it is encouraging to find a protagonist with albinism who emerges intact from her struggles by demonstrating intelligence and introspection, this book has its share of shortcomings as well. One is that it perpetuates the inaccurate notion that people with albinism have pink eyes. The natural eye color of most people with albinism is in fact blue, but occasionally in certain lighting, their eyes can take on tones of purple or red. The idea that people with albinism always have pink or red eyes has been one of the most difficult misconceptions to correct, even amongst medical and scientific professionals.

The more substantial disappointment about this book is that, with the exception of her mother who is dead when the story begins, not a single character with whom Cordy interacts shows her any consistent expression of love or caring. What little kindness she receives is contrived and empty, given with the expectation of monetary reward or momentary pleasure. Even her so-called boyfriend has been using her all along, thinking of nothing but maintaining his hedonistic lifestyle. While her father and stepmother refrain from abusing her and provide for her most basic physical needs, she is largely neglected, barely shown even a hint of warmth or respect by either of them until the book's conclusion. When the story ends, we are not left with an offering of love at the level Cordy deserves, which could bolster her self-esteem and safeguard her from future mishaps — all we are led to speculate is that her life might be a little less unpleasant than it used to be. So to some extent, she still remains a love-starved freak, albeit a wiser one.




cover of GHOST BOY by Iain Lawrence The protagonist of Iain Lawrence's coming-of-age story Ghost Boy is fourteen-year-old Harold Kline, who must cope with both the alienation he faces as a result of his albinism and the loss of his father and brother in the Second World War. Feeling oppressed within the confines of his small hometown, he is lured into joining Hunter and Green's traveling circus by the prospect of meeting The Cannibal King, a sideshow celebrity and the only other albino of whom he has ever known. Harold is taken in by the circus "freaks" as one of their own almost immediately. However, to his surprise, he quickly gains respect and recognition among the circus's "normal" members as well, including Hunter himself and Flip, the circus's heartbreakingly beautiful horse trainer. Straddling both groups, Harold is confronted with the trying challenge of deciding where to devote the greatest portion of his attention and loyalty. Harold's journey with the circus propels him forward on his inner quest for love, acceptance, and understanding — a path that takes twists and turns he could never have anticipated.

This novel is refreshing from several standpoints. In addition to its vivid writing and its compelling characters and plot, the element of albinism is handled with sensitivity and respect. Although the condition's pitfalls are rendered with abundant clarity, Harold as a whole human being is not defined by these exclusively. In many ways, Harold is like any other young man trying to find himself, grappling with the same issues in different packaging. He is given an intelligent mind and a caring heart in addition to his pale coloring and weak eyes. One of the great lessons imparted to him is that he is no worse or better than anyone else, and his journey ends up being successful overall.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this book is that, in the process of writing it, the author did careful research on albinism. He explicitly acknowledges the National Organization of Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH), and also took it upon himself to correspond with one of NOAH's young male members in an effort to make Harold a more realistic and multifaceted character. Additionally, the inclusion of The Cannibal King as a second character with albinism who differs from Harold in certain ways illustrates diversity among individuals with the same condition. In short, Ghost Boy is exemplary in both its treatment of albinism and its storytelling craftsmanship.




Cover from John Wideman's SENT FOR YOU YESTERDAY


John Edgar Wideman's Pen/Faulkner Award-winning novel, Sent for You Yesterday, focuses on an African-American character with albinism struggling with life in the inner city. The New York Times Book Review states that the author "establishes a mythological and symbolic link between character and landscape." Virginia Small, an African-American with albinism whose written commentaries have appeared in several publications, reviewed the book in the NOAH People of Color Bulletin in March, 1995. Her review is presented below.




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"I have just finished reading a book that I found profoundly insightful and disturbing. The book is titled, Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman. The setting is the inner city. The main character, a Black man with albinism known as Brother.

Brother must learn to cope with a great number of adversities. He is a Black male with limited education, trapped in the life of the ghetto. He is looked upon as a freak by Whites and Blacks alike. He is thought to be crazy by those who don't know him, and sometimes uses their ignorance against them. He arrives on the scene out of nowhere. An orphan. A little boy whose translucent skin disturbs a lot of people. Is the author trying to say perhaps that we are orphans? That we claim no heritage to the Black population?

Brother is also absolutely devoid of hair (alopicia). In the book he is often referred to as a ghost. Like a ghost he is pale, mysterious, quiet, and appears out of nowhere. He does extraordinary things such as play the piano expertly without ever having a lesson. He is indeed a haunting character, but at the same time, very human. He struggles with alcoholism and, after the very violent death of his son, who is also an albino, Brother goes into his own world and never speaks again.

The most painful and frightening part of this book for me was the tragic, lonely life and death of his little boy.

Brother is the glue that holds a family, and the book, together. He's also a metaphor for many social ills in America. I urge everyone to read the book or get it on Library of Congress cassette, #RC35708."


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