Protagonist more than her intellectual disability

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This article was published 08/02/2025 (595 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

British television actress and disabilities advocate Sarah Gordy is well-known for saying “I have Down syndrome, but that is not all I am.”

To some extent, the protagonist of this compassionate and engaging new novel echoes that sentiment. A tale of family dynamics, friendship, romantic entanglements and moral dilemmas, the story revolves around a middle-aged woman with intellectual disabilities who has an artistic flair.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which a person has an extra chromosome. As a result, someone with this condition has developmental delays from birth.

The author of three previous fictional works, Alice Zorn often writes about characters outside the mainstream. Her debut novel Arrythmia chronicles the experiences of five immigrant hospital workers. Five Roses, her sophomore novel, focuses on three marginalized female strangers who become neighbours. This book was a nominee for the 2017 Ontario Librarians’ Evergreen Prize. All of Zorn’s novels, including her latest, take place in Montreal, her current home.

At the outset, Mina is a 38-year-old woman with Down syndrome who lives independently in an apartment, works part-time in a recycling plant and has some friends. As a hobby, she creates vibrant free-form embroidery pieces at home while watching TV.

Bruno, Mina’s older brother and only sibling, is the carpenter and lighting director for a small dance troupe. Though very devoted to Mina, he finds that lately she is becoming increasingly demanding and frustrated. Bruno’s longtime partner Gabriela is Mina’s favourite person, her “belle coeur,” and they often go out together to restaurants, dance performances and birthday celebrations.

Iris, a thirty-something dress designer, is Mina’s newest friend. They initially met at a park while Mina was working on an embroidery piece. Iris was enthralled by the originality of the work, then introduced herself, and invited Mina to go for coffee.

Soon afterwards, Mina shows Iris more embroidery pieces. Iris becomes obsessed with Mina’s work, secretly vowing to find an art gallery to exhibit it.

It’s hard to describe much more of the plot without giving spoilers. However, after a series of events, Bruno must make some key decisions.

Told from four points of view, the nine-part narrative unfolds in lively, elegant prose. “Mina had lots of colours now that Iris was bringing them. They screamed and throbbed. Tingly, sleek, creamy, shimmering colours,” Zorn writes in one of Mina’s sections.

Throughout the novel Zorn excels at plumbing the depths of Mina’s character to portray a flawed, complex individual filled with contradictions. Not only is she inventive, loving, naïve and intuitive, but she also lies, steals, is stubborn and pulls pranks.

Also interwoven within the plot are ethical dilemmas involving some of the characters. In each case, Zorn presents the issues in a non-judgmental way, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

Much to her credit, Zorn has done an admirable job in edifying readers about Down syndrome by imbuing Mina as a character with a strong will, a sense of independence and a creative spark.

Recently, the slogan for World Down Syndrome Day was “End the Stereotypes!” Alice Zorn’s novel does much to advance this goal.

Bev Sandell Greenberg is a Winnipeg writer and editor. She is currently revising a short-fiction collection.