Riding the Bus with My Sister--#87 finished

This is a true story about the author Rachel and her younger sister Beth.  Beth is mentally delayed sounds like from a possible birth issue, not genetics.  Beth is basically independent but does have some social workers and friends that help her out.  Rachel is 39 when starting this book, freshly divorced and kind of between writing assignments.  Beth spends her day--6 days a week riding the local buses in Philadelphia.  Beth is only a year younger than Rachel.  There is an older sister and then a younger brother.  Both parents are around it sounds like but no one lives in Philadelphia near Beth--Rachel is an 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours away.  Kind of interesting that Beth was on her own with social workers basically for a long time until Rachel stepped in.  Beth had a few jobs but they didn't last.  Because she gets SSI, she has figured out she doesn't have to work so decided to ride the buses instead.  Lots of conflict with people she drives sort of crazy on bus and sometimes bus drivers.  Rachel's year of riding the buses is a few times or maybe a week a month.  She sort of did this with the idea of writing about it too so not surprising a book came of it.  There was also a TV movie with Rosie O'Donnell as Beth--I can see that.  

I think part of the story that didn't come out until late in book was the family drama growing up--especially with Beth.  The parents divorced and mom had the kids except for weekends it sounds like.  Mom starts dating and eventually meets an awful guy--oldest in college, Rachel gets sent to boarding school, youngest--the boy goes to dad and Beth stays with mom and step dad.  They move to Vegas, AZ, etc and family basically has abandoned them.  Step dad won't let any contact happen, eventually mom sneaks Beth to airport and calls dad to be there to pick her up.  Step dad had threatened Beth with knife and probably worse.  Mom does get away from step dad but no one trusts her enough to contact for years.  Eventually Rachel does and maybe part of the family does as well--not clear or maybe I don't remember.  Just wonder if part of Beth's attitude issues stem from treatment by step dad--sounds like just awful thing to have gone through.  Not really probed in book and I guess hard to do so since Beth probably couldn't give details.

Anyway, that is a long writeup for me on these books.  There are 3 copies in PBS system already so not sure if will post or give away.  Might see if someone else interested first.