Eva Marie Olinski is a sixth-grade teacher at Epiphany Middle School. She is nervous on the first day of school because she hasn’t taught in years and because she is now in a wheelchair. Ten years ago, Mrs. Olinski was in an automobile accident. Her husband was killed and she was paralyzed from the waist down.
Over the years, Mrs. Olinski has accepted her disability and has become self-confident enough in her wheelchair to try teaching again. However, she is aware of the reaction she gets from other people; they stare at her and treat her as though she is “different.” This reaction causes Mrs. Olinski to feel self-conscious. The environment at Epiphany Middle School is quite hostile toward Mrs. Olinski. She is called a “cripple” and is treated disrespectfully. She feels sympathy for people who don’t understand that “‘cripples’ are a diverse group of people” with thoughts and feelings.
At times, Mrs. Olinski is reminded of her physical limitations and of the losses she has endured. She lost her husband, the use of her legs, and the hopes and dreams she shared with her husband of having a family of their own. At Sillington House, Mrs. Olinski is “blinded by jealousy” when she sees Mrs. Draper (Mrs. Diamondstein now), her former principal, hug her grandson, Ethan. But instead of hanging on to that anger, Mrs. Olinski explores her feelings and, because she is in the company of people who accept her, feels her burden “lift from her shoulders.”
When Mrs. Olinski appoints her academic team, she begins her journey to find meaning in her life once again and to discover kindness in others. With the support of The Souls, she feels less timid, she is able to maintain balance in the classroom, and she can relax when she is at Sillington House because The Souls and Mr. Singh don’t pay any attention to her paralysis or her wheelchair.
At the novel’s conclusion, Mrs. Olinski feels “a sense of loss” after her academic team is victorious. Mr. Singh points out to her that it is important to stop and enjoy the moment of victory.
