Cottage [Twelve]: A Story of Two Paths Toward One Heart, One Given... the Other Discovered

This tortuously bifurcated memoir charts a brother's efforts to deal with a sister's disability, as well as his later divorce and religious awakening. Born three years after his sister Kathy, Biggs is delivered via cesarean section, echoing his sibling's complicated and debilitating birth. Very soon, the differences between the children becomes apparent to their homemaker mother and high school coach father. While Biggs is active in sports, Kathy%E2%80%94diagnosed with cerebral palsy%E2%80%94grows increasingly debilitated; she requires assistance performing such automatic tasks as swallowing and breathing and is soon bound to a wheelchair and institutional care. After his parents divorce, Biggs heads to college and later embarks on a promising career in public relations. However, his life and accomplishments are accompanied by a deep sense of guilt about Kathy's disability and his rare visits to her residential facility in Oklahoma. When his own marriage ends, Biggs gains custody of his son and a deep faith in Christ. The author's account of his life rambles and%E2%80%94despite Kathy's role in his transformation%E2%80%94the story lacks focus.