Product Description
Lying in a hospital bed, José P. Ramirez, Jr. (b. 1948) almost lost everything because of a misunderstood disease. When the health department doctor gave him the Handbook for Persons with Leprosy, Ramirez learned his fate. Such a diagnosis in 1968 meant exile and hospitalization in the only leprosarium in the continental United States--Carville, Louisiana, 750 miles from his home in Laredo, Texas. In Squint: My Journey with Leprosy, Ramirez recalls being taken from his family in a hearse and thrown into a world filled with fear. He and his loved ones struggled against the stigma associated with the term "leper" and against beliefs that the disease was a punishment from God, that his illness was highly communicable, and that persons with Hansen's disease had to be banished from their communities. His disease not only meant separation from the girlfriend who would later become his wife, but also a derailment of all life's goals. In his struggle Ramirez overcame barriers both real and imagined and eventually became an international advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities. In Squint, titled for the sliver of a window through which persons with leprosy in medieval times were allowed to view Mass but not participate, Ramirez tells a story of love and perseverance over incredible odds. José P. Ramirez, Jr., is a social worker in Houston, Texas. He has written articles about Hansen's disease for the Houston Chronicle, the Star Magazine, the National Association of Social Workers Newsletter, and other publications.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.0 based on 6 reviews)

Humbling by Sharron Ainsworth (Houston, TX)

5 Stars
October 12, 2009
This is an awesome book. I had no idea that leprosy was not extremely contangious.

so much potential, so dissappointing by Peter W. Adams (Tucson, AZ USA)

1 Stars
September 12, 2009
It is obvious that Mr. Ramirez has spent a life of challenge - fighting prejudice, ignorance and the kind of physical pain few of us can even imagine. He is to be congratulated for his life's work and his overcoming the many challenges of this disease. Never-the-less he is not to be congratulated on a well-written book. Redundancies, miss-use of punctuation, and a distracting use of Mexican phrases where they have no impact lead me to not be sympathetic but rather to feel duped into reading this book. I hope that there is a second edition of this book with a ghost writer or at least an editor to catch such glaring mistakes as, "It must have been weeks before I saw Big John's face..." to , in less then a page, "[Big John] smiled and nodded." I use the quotation marks with some nervousness as Mr. Ramirez has used a life's quota of them already. It is mostly a simple disappointment to not have had so important a life expressed in as well a written book as it deserves.

Layered by Showme (Missouri)

3 Stars
August 24, 2009
Although the title refers only to the author's experience with Hansen's Disease, the book gives the reader more - a window into Mexican-American culture of a certain era, more specifically, a Mexican-American culture in Laredo, TX; an as-it-unfolds narrative of a minority culture - and the majority culture around it - as they transition re: gender roles and in diversity awareness, whether that diversity has to do with culture, race or disease; a truly romantic love story between him and his wife; and a story of complicated relationships between parents and children. While the book isn't an on-the-edge-of-your-seat page-turner, the author tells his stories well. I felt engaged throughout the book. Occasionally, I got lost in the chronology, but I found that the chronology wasn't all that relevant to the story, anyway, so this wasn't an irritant. Overall, the book gives the reader more than it promises in the title.

A potentially interesting story, horribly written by M. Ackerman-Berrier (Tucson, AZ USA)

1 Stars
August 23, 2009
When I read a review of this book in my local paper, my interest was piqued. In fact, I ordered several copies and selected this book for my book club. Although Mr. Ramirez is a very sympathetic character, and I commend his courage and strength in telling his story (and his tireless advocacy for persons with Hansen's disease), I was deeply disappointed in the book. His seemingly random use of quotation marks and his over-use of Spanish in the text (and, mind you,I speak Spanish) was a constant distraction. Mr. Ramirez' story has great potential, but the combination of poor writing and non-existent editing make for a disappointing read.

Mesmerizing by J. Varela (Houston, Texas)

5 Stars
May 23, 2009
I could not put this book down. I enjoyed reading it as much for the main story - about Jose Ramirez' journey - as about his family and the times they shared. Mr. Ramirez is a good story teller - he describes his feelings and thoughts in a way that make the reader feel as if they are right there with him. Not only is Mr. Ramirez a strong person for having made his journey, but he is brave for being willing to share the most intimate details. Thanks for writing this book and sharing your story.

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