Winnie: My Life in the Institution (Paperback or Softback)

Winnie Sprockett was just six years old in 1938 when she was committed by her foster mother to a state institution for mentally retarded females, where she remained most of her life. Despite her isolation and some harsh -- and, in a few instances, cruel -- treatment, she grew into a compassionate and generous woman. Among the remarkable things about Winnie, one stands out: though she received barely a fourth grade education in the institution, and her IQ was approximately that of a nine year old, she wrote her autobiography. With the help of journalist Jamie Pastor Bolnick, Winnie tells a story that is both chilling and inspiring, a story that at times sounds unbelievable but is, according to public and medical records and those who knew her best, true.Published to widespread critical acclaim in 1985, and made into a beloved 1988 NBC Movie of the Week--starring Meredith Baxter (Birney) and David Morse-- that continues to be seen to this day, it has been long out of print and almost impossible to find. But after more than twenty years, a new and revised paperback edition of "Winnie: My Life in the Institution" is now available.