Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful and Real
Review: I have a hard time putting into words my opinion of this novel. It is so carefully crafted. There don't seem to be any moments where the right words are not used. This has all the hallmarks of a classic. The sign of such a good work is that you might guess what is to come (the tragedy, the ultimate pain and/or joy) and you feel that emotion along with the characters but you could not put the book down before getting there. I did not give this a 5 because at first I was disappointed with the ending. It is somehow anti-climatic. The more, however, I thought about it I realized that this was the writer's design. The world of the narrator moves on in the way it does for all of us and especially when we are "coming of age" so to speak. That would be my only suggestion that you keep an open mind to the end and really reflect on the trip the novel took you on.
Rating: 
Summary: I didn't understand this...
Review: Maybe I am missing something, but I didn't think that this novel was anything special. It was readable, sort of. There were many open ends in the story of Daisy Mae and her visit to her cousin one summer. I still am baffled by the book and haven't a clue, for the first time in my life!
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Journey but a Disappointing Destination
Review: Child of My Heart - Alice McDermott
Almost like a wistful dream this reflection back on the summer of her fifteenth year is told by a narrator who focuses on her quiet weeks with her cousin. Theresa is a young lady whose parents have moved their family of three to the wealthy end of Long Island in hopes that because of her beauty and precociousness, she'll be able to "catch" a rich summer resident when she comes of age. Daisy is her eight year old cousin, from a family of ten, who has come to visit for a month. Full of fun and fantasy, Theresa is a popular babysitter and dog-walker. She has been retained by a local artist to care for his baby daughter and so begins the gist of the story as Theresa and Daisy venture out each day to walk dogs then head over to the artist's mansion to nanny the baby.
Although there are some light-hearted moments in this book, it is not a light-hearted book by any means. It is deep and quite thoughtful, dreamy, interesting but not terribly realistic. I enjoyed the character of Theresa and enjoyed her streams of fantasy. Her relationship with Daisy was a delight but not true to relationships between ordinary fifteen year old and eight year old girls, nor were their conversations and personalities at all like any fifteen or eight year old girls in my experience. Nevertheless, they were enjoyable characters to meet and know. Just because a person or story does not reflect reality does not necessarily mean that character or story isn't worth reading!
The disappointment I found was that somewhere near the end, I felt Theresa's character broke what out of who I felt her character was and what I felt had been established. That made the book less pleasurable for me. Overall I felt that, with this book, the journey was wonderful but the destination was disappointing. Still, I would recommend it because the people were fun to know and the stories and little adventures that Theresa and Daisy crafted were worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: Did not hold my attention
Review: Didn't want this book to end. I felt like I was living with the characters, rather than reading about them. While it was a sometimes sad and poignant book, it gave me an uplifting feeling that's hard to explain. I read a lot, and this book is right up there as one of my favorite works of fiction. Subtle in its message, it is beautifully written and a joy to read.
Rating: 
Summary: A modern day classic!!
Review: I am disheartened when I read some of the reviews of this book. I was taken with this story from the very first pages. I see Theresa as a modern day St. Francis, efortlessly winning the respect of animals and children alike. I got the feeling that Theresa didn't really fit in anyway, what with being the only child of older parents, so she used her talent of being the most sought after baby sitter in Long Island to her benefit and to the benefit of many children that are all but forgotten by their families. Theresa provided the stability that this idyllic place needed. This book and all the people in it are utterly unforgettable and superbly crafted. I was touched by Theresa's unconditional love for Daisy Mae and Flora. I loved the scenes at the beach as well as the scene with Debbie and Curly, the cat, and decorating the lollipop tree. Alice McDermott is an efortless, gifted storyteller and this is the type of book that you'll want to curl up with and hang on to.
Rating:
Summary: Unsatisfying
Review: This is a novel about a 15 year old girl who invites her "poor" 8 year old cousin to her house on the east end of Long Island, so she can spend the summer. Theresa, the heroine, is a lonely beautiful girl, daughter of hard working parents who are not as rich as their summer neighbors. To make money, and get noticed by the right people, Theresa babysits, walks dogs, etc. This is not a coming of age story, it is a reminiscience of a brief moment in time. THe good thing about this book is the writing. Much of it is lyrical and beautiful, and flows from page to page. But hte plot of the book leaves much to be desired. Things happen, but they are vague and underplayed. I assume this was done on purpose, but it doesn't work for me. It just makes everything that happens unimportant- days meld together. And the character development is weak, as the main character is weak. Theresa NEVER hangs out with anyone her own age. For a girl who is supposed to be so beautiful, no one between the ages of 11 and 35 ever approaches her. There are no girls from school calling, no trips to the ice cream shop, etc. It is just weird. All the adults we come across are strange as well- nasty socialite women, leering older men, the drunken next door neighbor, uncaring parents, including Theresa's own parents, who don't seem to care too much about what she's up to, or if she's happy. Because of the time frame of this book, we never see Thersa grow, or change, which leads me to the question- what was the point of this book?
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