Review of “Freeing Teresa” by Franke James

Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)

Freeing Teresa is an excellent, thought-provoking, drama-filled, thrilling, emotional, and heartfelt memoir by Franke James! It powerfully covers the moral and ethical dilemmas of caring for the disabled and elderly in our country. In particular, it tackles the core question: Should a person's dignity and personal freedom to choose be prioritized over their perceived health and safety?

This is a book that made us cry, made us laugh, and made us angry. It filled us with hope and inspiration. It filled us with frustration and rage.

Let's put it simply: this is one of the best books we've read this year!

This book is told from the perspective of Franke (Francis/Franny), the sister of the titular character, Teresa.

Teresa was born with Down syndrome in the 1960s. Despite this, she lived a happy and fulfilling life with the support of Franke, their father (a WWII Air Force veteran and lawyer referred to as “Dad” throughout the book), and their siblings: Conrad, Deidre, Phoebe, and Siobhan.

However, all that changes and is shaken up decades later when questions are raised about Dad's mental competency (at the age of 90 to 91 throughout most of this book) and his ability to continue to look after himself, much less Teresa (who lived with him).

He transfers a lot of his authority, including power attorney, to a few of his children, mainly Deidre (his right-hand-girl in his law office) and Conrad, the son who had unscrupulously promised to adopt and look after Teresa in his absence.

This rapidly and dramatically devolves into a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear or Akira Kurasawa's RAN as the two children betray their father's trust and attempt to disenfranchise him of his condo and Teresa by having him thrown into a veteran's home, K-Wing, and having Teresa committed to a nursing home called Aiker Place, a place inhabited by people decades older and many of whom are in end-of-life care.

Essentially, they plot to separate and discard their father and disabled sister like trash—out of sight, out of mind.

The unscrupulous siblings call this their “exit plan” and a “happy ending” to which Franke rightfully questions, “A happy ending? Happy for whom?”

It's a slap in the face and a stab to the back of everything their father wanted and intended for Teresa. Franke, the author and narrator, seems to be the only one courageous enough to vouch for Teresa's freedom and what Teresa and Dad would really want.

This is a book about human dignity, decency, and freedom. It's a book about civil and human rights and how being on the older side or having a disability does not disqualify you from having them.

While Franke, Dad, and Teresa are compelling protagonists in this real-life drama, Deidre, Conrad, Siobhan, and Phoebe (to a lesser extent) prove to be tremendously compelling villains—the kind you genuinely love to hate. Going back to the King Lear analogy, you could make the following comparisons:

Dad- King Lear (the elderly father who is declining and entrusts his children to his estate)

Franke- Cordelia (the good, loyal, honest daughter)

Teresa- The Fool (contrary to the negative connotations of the title, the Fool is clever, uplifting even in grim circumstances, and fiercely loyal to Lear; it is popularly theorized that Cordelia and the Fool may be the same person in disguise)

Bill- King of France (who marries Cordelia and opposes the evil siblings)

Deidre- Goneril (one of the treacherous daughters, the older one)

Siobhan- Regan (the other treacherous daughter)

Conrad- Edmund (the treacherous son of the Earl of Gloucester, the play's primary villain)

It is kinda chilling to note the similarities between these real-life figures and their Shakespearean counterparts.

It should be noted that the siblings, their spouses, and several of the locations are referred to by pseudonyms throughout the book, for the sake of privacy and likely due to the negative or villainous portrayal of many of them.

Deidre, Siobhan, and Conrad are definite nominees for “Best Villain.” They are gaslighting, cunning, and manipulative. One of the key moments that highlights the depths of their evil is when they threaten to call the police on Franke and Dad over removing Teresa from a nursing home, then lie to the police that Dad was suicidal, obligating them to bring him to the hospital. They attempt to scare, terrify, and intimidate Franke and Dad into getting what they want: to discard their family members and force them into decorated prisons.

This is one of the tensest moments we've ever read in a book!

Dad & Teresa are often called a “team” and are likely nominees for “Best Duo.” They are inseparable and do everything together.

A major aspect of this book is photography and video recording. Both Franke and Teresa love taking photos and recording. They do so throughout the book. It turns out that photography was a passion of Dad and their late mother. This becomes critical as Franke realizes that she can use these methods of recording to catch her siblings attempting to hide their deceit and attempts at deception and manipulation. This manages to be the only thing that manages to counter Deidre and Siobhan.

This book also points out holes in the legal and criminal justice systems as the protagonists are often ignored, depriotized, or silenced by police who seem more interested in following arbitrary protocols rather than seeing and considering the whole situation.

Many of us who've sought help from the police have experienced this, and its infuriating to read about.

The book also references a theatrical performance called “Rare,” featuring all actors who have Down syndrome, which Franke took Teresa to see in their younger days. This play is referenced in numerous ways, being woven into the plot, almost as a kind of motif. For example, Franke often references how some of the characters in “Rare” were independent and lived on their own, something she hoped would inspire Teresa to do the same.

This is an outstanding book that had us at the edge of our seats.

Check it out on Amazon!