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Weeks, Sarah. 2004. SO B. IT. New York: Laura Geringer Books. ISBN 0066236223
Love speaks in many languages or in some cases almost none at all. So is the case in Sarah Week's touching and heartfelt novel,
SO B. IT. Heidi, the twelve-year-old protagonist and daughter of a So B. It, a severely mentally disabled woman, makes her
way through life with a strong case of good fortune and the daily help of her agoraphobic neighbor, Bernadette. Heidi and
her mother have lived next door and under her care since they appeared on her doorstep when Heidi was an infant, and no other
information about their identity exists. When Heidi finds a roll of film pushed back in a kitchen drawer, she commits herself
to learning the answers to the mystery contained in the photographs. Since her mother's vocabulary is limited to an utterance
of only twenty-three words, she can offer no insight to the family's past, and Heidi sets out on a cross country journey to
try to learn who she really is.
Weeks' paints the pages of SO B. IT with characters that are unusual, remarkable, and memorable. Each character is fully-developed
and carefully rendered, leaving readers to be drawn fully into their world. Heidi's narration and voice is authentic; while
life may be difficult, she remains true to herself and her family. Though her frustration with life as she has always known
it is evident as she shares, "A person isn't supposed to have to guess who they are, they are supposed to know."
she remains committed to her family. Her innocence and naiveté are portrayed appropriately, and Week's story never becomes
too heavy-handed with sentiment--rather is remains a beautiful testament to the power of love.
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