Bonnie asked Suzanne Redfearn:

Oz came as a total shock to me right from the first mention of him since he is the exact duplicate of my older brother, right down to his size. I am three years younger than he ( now 72) and was always led to believe he was the way he was due to an illness and high fever that left him brain damaged, but the similarities are too many not to believe this is a developmental disability, am I correct?

Suzanne Redfearn Sorry for the delayed reply. I just stumbled on this page and realized readers have been asking me questions. I don't really know what is technically wrong with Oz. I based him on the character Lenny from OF MICE AND MEN. Steinbeck's character was so incredibly moving and I love the idea of goodness and danger being combined. He definitely had a developmental disability, but I never delved into how he might have gotten it. Thank you for your question.

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