The award-winning memoir Freeing Teresa is now a full-cast audiobook. Over a dozen actors bring Franke and Teresa’s riveting true story to life. They include Jackie Blackmore as Franke, and Lauren Potter—of GLEE television fame—as Teresa.
They are supported by Dayleigh Nelson, Cynthia Potvin, Bill Mackie, Paula Hoffmann, Rob Cottingham, Sidika Larbes, Geoff Sugiyama, Laurel Bailey, Divina Soriano-Leacock, Justin Smallbridge, and Roshni Kashyap. Two of the actors, Lauren Potter and Roshni Kashyap, have Down syndrome.
A heart-wrenching true story with a full cast
As a true story, Freeing Teresa is unique among full-cast audiobooks. Based on actual events, it’s a dramatic reenactment of the battle to protect Teresa’s freedom. It is also an intimate log of the personal journey that both Franke and Teresa went through. Pushing back against their family’s low expectations and battling against a “care system” that would take away Teresa’s freedom.
Each actor in the cast listened to audio recordings and/or watched Franke’s videos. She made them during dramatic, life-changing days. Everything was recorded. From threatening phones calls, to the rescue at the long-term care institution and the family showdown with the police. These recordings inspired the actors, giving the audiobook its emotional intensity and reality that makes for an unforgettable listening experience.
Story overview (listing the actors’ roles)
When an idealistic activist objects to her siblings’ plan to ship their disabled sister off to a nursing home, she’s forced to choose between family and her sister’s freedom.
Franke James (played by Jackie Blackmore) is an environmental activist who got into trouble in her own backyard—family trouble. She objected when she heard her siblings’ plan to put their disabled sister, Teresa Heartchild, into a nursing home. Teresa (played by Lauren Potter), who has Down syndrome, refused to go. She wanted to continue living with her father (played by Bill Mackie). But the other siblings (played by Cynthia Potvin, Paula Hoffmann, Rob Cottingham, and Sidika Larbes) insisted and secretly put Teresa into an institution for end-of-life care.
Teresa was in shock. Franke was horrified and organized a rescue. That’s when all hell broke loose. The two sisters had to stand together—against their siblings, the medical system, and the police (played by Geoff Sugiyama and Justin Smallbridge)—to defend Teresa’s right to be free.
This is a true story about a key civil rights issue for all people with disabilities—the right to decide where you live.
TRIGGER WARNING: This true story deals with complex, dysfunctional family relationships and ableist attitudes, which some listeners may find upsetting.
Get the Audiobook
Freeing Teresa is now available on Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, and many other audiobook distributors, including the public library.
Get the Freeing Teresa audiobook on:
- Audible.com
- Spotify
- Apple Books
- Kobo
- Libro.FM
- Google Play
- Audiobooks.com
- Public Libraries
- And others