A wondrous, deeply affecting portrait of the interlocking lives at an adult day care center in Southern California, depicting an often overlooked community with extraordinary wit and grace—by a major new literary voice hailed as a “groundbreaking debut novelist” (Publishers Weekly)

“An unparalleled achievement, and a treasure. “ —Rivka Galchen
“Woody Brown accomplishes the seemingly impossible.”—Mona Simpson

Upward Bound is not a place anyone dreams of spending their days. The dreary adult daycare center for Los Angeles’s disabled community is, for many of its clients and staff, a place of last resort. This includes Carlos, a young aide who lost his mother as a boy and now works there alongside his beloved sister Mariana; Jorge, the gentle nonspeaking giant whom Carlos seeks to befriend (and prevent from escaping); Tom, a beautiful young man with cerebral palsy, who pines for Ann, the summer lifeguard at the center’s pool who feels out of her depth; then there’s Dave, Upward Bound’s director who came to L.A. to pursue an acting career but now channels his passion into staging an overly ambitious holiday show starring the center’s irrepressible clients. Framing these intertwined narratives—and connecting them in surprising, shattering ways—is the riveting and sometimes ironic testimony of Walter, a recent community college graduate who, after a family tragedy, must return to the company of his disabled peers.

In Upward Bound, Woody Brown has created an indelible, authentic, and profoundly moving group portrait of autism and other disabilities, all illuminated by his empathy, sly sense of humor, and enormous gifts as a novelist. With remarkable sophistication, insight, and creativity, Brown depicts a community too-often invisible in literature and society. Filled with characters you won’t soon forget, Upward Bound will inspire and touch you, teaching you as much about yourself as the tender, miraculous world behind the center’s doors.

I was looking for a short audiobook to listen to while doing things around the house and found this. It had just been announced as the Read with Jenna pick for April, so I decided to give it a go, and I ended up enjoying it.

The book is set primarily at Upward Bound, an adult daycare center for the disabled community in Los Angeles. The book is told through alternating chapters, each one from the POV of either one of the adults at the care center, the people who work there, or in one case, an employee at Target who sees the group every week on their weekly “Target Day”. The structure works really well and adds another layer to the story that we wouldn’t get if it were just told from a single POV.

Brown depicts a community that’s too often invisible in literature and society. He does it with sophistication, insight, and a sly sense of humor. It’s about autism and other disabilities, sure, but it’s also about humanity. Being seen, human connection and finding purpose in unexpected places.

The book is humorous and very touching. It’s not meant to make you feel sorry for any of the adults at the care center. Instead, it makes you see them through different eyes. These aren’t tragic figures to be pitied. They’re whole people with thoughts, feelings, desires, and frustrations, and they’re written with a lot of care. I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to be aware of your surroundings but completely unable to communicate. I thought a lot about some of the things I take for granted.

The narration of the audiobook is great. It’s narrated by a full cast with each person voicing a different character which added a lot to the experience. It brings the whole thing to life in a way a single narrator couldn’t because it feels like you’re hearing directly from each person.

The book was perfect for getting me through a few hours of tedious housework. It’s short and engaging and it gave me a lot to think about while I was folding laundry and scrubbing dishes. If you’re looking for something quick and meaningful, or enjoy books that shine a light on communities that are often ignored, pick this up. You won’t forget these characters.

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