Abstract

This thesis is a young adult fictional novel from the perspective of Rachel Jackson, or Rae, a seventeen year-old girl with Williams Syndrome, a rare developmental disorder caused by missing genes on chromosome 7 that causes those with it to lack logical connections, yet possess very gregarious, social, and musical personalities. Think of it as an inverted form of autism. At the genesis of the novel, Rae becomes pregnant. Upon misunderstanding her mother's sugar-coated reasoning for giving the baby up for adoption, Rae spends the novel trying to find a man to marry so that, in her understanding, she may keep her child. Along her journey, Rae meets Theo, a well-meaning Christian boy, who appears to be a possible match. Rae falls in love with Theo and gets into various kinds of trouble as she discovers how to take care of herself as well as how to accept herself, disorder and all. Along with her hardworking mother, her feisty grandmother, and her sassy little sister, Rae endeavors this bildungsroman to discover who she is and how she fits into society.

Degree

MFA

College and Department

Humanities; English

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/