- Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Seal Books; 1 edition (Nov 14 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0770428312
- ISBN-13: 978-0770428310
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.4 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 204 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,417,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Ellie Tescher brilliantly pulls off a stunning and harrowing account of how it really was for the Dionnes." - Norman Jewison
"An illuminating chronicle of the Dionne's life-long struggle for autonomy and independence." - The Globe and Mail
"An illuminating chronicle of the Dionne's life-long struggle for autonomy and independence." - The Globe and Mail
Book Description
A sensitive and candid inside account of the struggles of the Dionne quintuplets, from "million-dollar babies" to impoverished adults, and their ultimate triumph in the battle for compensation after years of exploitation.
In February 1998, a press conference was held by three tired 63-year-old women, who held up a sign that read JUSTICE NOT CHARITY. Eight days later, the Ontario government -- who had ignored the three surviving Dionne quintuplets' pleas for three years -- bowed to public opinion and awarded $4 million to the sisters and to their two nieces, Marie's daughters.
The miracle babies -- to this day the world's only surviving identical quintuplets -- were raised in a compound separated from their family and put on display for thousands of tourists. "Quintland" became a cash cow for the Ontario tourism industry, and many people benefited from the bizarre, micro-managed lifestyle the children were forced to live. As teens they were returned to their family, who were like strangers to the girls. As young adults they turned to convents or to marriage and motherhood, desperate to establish lives of their own. Physical ailments continued to plague them, however, with two sisters dying tragically young: Emilie at age 20, and Marie at age 35.
In addition to the personal struggles the three sisters candidly relate, The Dionnes recounts the stories of their friends, families, lawyers, supporters, and legions of admirers. It was journalist Ellie Tesher's heartfelt coverage of the sisters' plight that led to a public outcry, ultimately forcing Ontario's Harris government to come up with the money they had pledged not to give. Much more than a rags to riches story, The Dionnes is a tale of humanity and courage, of family feuding and family solidarity, and of the long and painful road to justice.
In February 1998, a press conference was held by three tired 63-year-old women, who held up a sign that read JUSTICE NOT CHARITY. Eight days later, the Ontario government -- who had ignored the three surviving Dionne quintuplets' pleas for three years -- bowed to public opinion and awarded $4 million to the sisters and to their two nieces, Marie's daughters.
The miracle babies -- to this day the world's only surviving identical quintuplets -- were raised in a compound separated from their family and put on display for thousands of tourists. "Quintland" became a cash cow for the Ontario tourism industry, and many people benefited from the bizarre, micro-managed lifestyle the children were forced to live. As teens they were returned to their family, who were like strangers to the girls. As young adults they turned to convents or to marriage and motherhood, desperate to establish lives of their own. Physical ailments continued to plague them, however, with two sisters dying tragically young: Emilie at age 20, and Marie at age 35.
In addition to the personal struggles the three sisters candidly relate, The Dionnes recounts the stories of their friends, families, lawyers, supporters, and legions of admirers. It was journalist Ellie Tesher's heartfelt coverage of the sisters' plight that led to a public outcry, ultimately forcing Ontario's Harris government to come up with the money they had pledged not to give. Much more than a rags to riches story, The Dionnes is a tale of humanity and courage, of family feuding and family solidarity, and of the long and painful road to justice.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
They didn't have it so good...,
By meiringen "meiringen" (the Midwest) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Dionnes (Hardcover)
The true story of the Dionne Quints, and how their life was not a story-book one as painted by the media and the Canadian government. What these women went through is tragic.A book to finally set the record straight!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not your standard Dionne biography,
By
This review is from: The Dionnes (Hardcover)
Tescher's interest is not the happy-go-lucky little girls that adorned newspapers and goods in the 1930s but the adult Dionnes, ill-equipped to function in the real world. Until their recent financial settlement with the Ontario government they knew terrible poverty and have been marked their entire lives by their famous birth. An unusual angle to a fascinating subject.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not your standard Dionne biography,
By JoAnne - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Dionnes (Hardcover)
Tescher's interest is not the happy-go-lucky little girls that adorned newspapers and goods in the 1930s but the adult Dionnes, ill-equipped to function in the real world. Until their recent financial settlement with the Ontario government they knew terrible poverty and have been marked their entire lives by their famous birth. An unusual angle to a fascinating subject.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
They didn't have it so good...,
By meiringen "meiringen" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Dionnes (Hardcover)
The true story of the Dionne Quints, and how their life was not a story-book one as painted by the media and the Canadian government. What these women went through is tragic.A book to finally set the record straight! |
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