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  1. TITLE: Show Me No Mercy-1984

  2. AUTHOR: Robert Perske (Katherine Cargill-Willis 2/18/04)

  3. KATHY’S NOTE: This novel is a very quick and easy to read with a hundred and forty- three pages. Unlike “No Pity,” it is very uplifting and I think more palatable to a wider audience, although it deals with the same sort of issues. It was very interesting for me because I was raised in a very similar manner. It only takes an afternoon to read and I recommend it. I have decided to arbitrarily divide it into three sections

  4. ‘NORMAL’ LIFE: Andy and Maggie have teenage twins, Beth and Ben. Ben has Down’s Syndrome and attends special education classes at the local high school. He walks to school with his sister and their friends. He has a part-time job after school. His parents belong to a parent support group where they help other parents adjust to their newborns with disabilities. This group is very informal but it gives a lot of support to parents.

    5. Andy and Maggie have raised their son to believe he can do anything he wants and to never give up; the family motto is “No Mercy.” Andy sometimes questions the philosophy, believing that it could cause unnecessary hurt and disappointment for Ben. This becomes evident when Ben and Beth’s friend, Matt both try-out for basketball manager at the high school. Maggie and Andy also worry if they give Beth enough time and attention. Beth wonders who is going to stick up for Ben when her parents are not around.

  5. THE TRAGEDY: The family went to a movie after Thanksgiving dinner. They were in an automobile accident, killing Maggie and Beth. Andy is seriously injured and is in and out of consciousness for several days. Ben stays with Matt’s family visiting his father as often as he can. Andy recovers very slowly and has a lot of trouble with speech; a problem Ben has, especially when he gets nervous. The doctor shows Ben how to help his father learn to squeeze his finger.

    6. A relative decides that she needs to take power of attorney and becomes Ben’s guardian. When she tries to put Ben in an institution, he runs away and is found in the burned-out back seat of the family car. After becoming violent, Ben is put in a developmental center on an emergency basis. The social worker at the developmental center does not believe Ben belongs there, but his guardian insists he does. When Ben was having terrible feelings of guilt, believing the accident was his fault, his father made him understand that it wasn’t his fault. Ben spent an hour a day with his father, with Matt driving him back and forth from the developmental center. After their visit they always had dinner with friends, his old teacher and parents from the support group.

    The developmental center wanted to have a meeting for Ben to develop an Individual habilitation plan. But before it could be written, Ben found work, raking leaves on the grounds of the developmental center. He was then moved to a work crew with able-bodied workers. Ben went to New York City for New Year’s Eve with a group of friends.

    When his relative discovers that Ben is spending lot of time in town, she ordered Ben be taken to a private institution across the country. The groups of parents and friends went to the airport and skillfully maneuvered around and stole Ben back.

  6. BACK TO NORMAL: A high school basketball game was Andy’s first outing. When he came back to the local the high school, Ben shared the job of basketball manager with Matt. As Ben learned another task, Matt was given more responsibilities with the coaching. Andy comes home and gradually heals physically and emotionally with his son and his close group of friends.

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