ABSTRACT
The introduction provides an exposition of Bíbí's unusual story and discusses the state of the art in such research. It goes on to discuss the scholarly disciplines to be applied in the study, i.e., critical disability studies and the methods of microhistory. Through these approaches, the opportunity arises to address the highly unusual life course experienced by Bíbí in a new and interesting way. Bíbí's story has few parallels, from whatever angle it is considered. Much has been said and written on the subject of people who found themselves in institutions, but far less about those who remained in their own communities, mostly among “normal” people, becoming a part of the everyday social environment. The introduction explores the meaning of her life in a very hostile environment.
