The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets

This nonfiction account follows the Dionne quintuplets—Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, and Marie—from their 1934 birth in an Ontario village. Their parents and others initially feared the babies would not survive, and a doctor with rotating nurses took charge of their care. The government later housed the girls in a compound apart from home, where adults controlled a strict routine. Tourists came to see them, while endorsements, souvenirs, and visits with their parents were managed by others. When custody returned to the family, the girls and their parents had become strangers.