Child of My Heart

Rating:
Summary: An elegantly told coming-of-age story
Review: A simple story told from a 15-year-old's point of view. The teenager in question is Theresa, a beautiful girl beloved by animals and children alike. Amazingly perspicacious for a teen, Theresa takes us through a summer on Long Island where she cares for her younger cousin, Daisy, the daughter of a semi-famous painter, Flora, and a host of other neighborhood kids and animals.

Overall, Child of My Heart seemed more a series of observations and daily happenings than a plotted story. Yet it was oddly compelling, perhaps because McDermott is such a gifted writer. But I did have some problems with Theresa's character: even though she seemed so beyond her years in many respects, she was still very childlike ' she had no friends her age (only younger) and expressed no interest in boys (save for her creepy relationship with the geriatric painter). And that relationship was rather inexplicable ' she never expresses any sexual longing or attraction to this man, but still she gets naked with the old geezer (yuck!), despite being keenly aware of her beauty and that she could probably have any man she wanted. I guess I just felt like something was missing here, but I'm not sure what.

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: GOOD CHARACTERIZATION
Review: If you like books about children, hop aboard.

In the summer of this year, we are introduced to Theresa, the expert baby-sitter who entertains her cousin Daisy up from Queens Village for the entire summer. Theresa works for the wealthy folk around her area, looking after their toddlers and sometimes walking and taking care of the owners pets.

She is so tender towards her cousin Daisy's, it's totally touching. Meet Flora the toddler who is constantly under her care and whose father is a painter, and quite attracted to Theresa.....the Morans kids of Janey, Judy, June
Tony and Petey and the Kaufmans, the Swansons and the rest of the neighborhood.

The story line was interesting and the characters more so, but it's a book that will keep you turning the pages as you will want to know what happens to these lovely children who spend their days on the beach and who dream about fairies and lollipops on weeping cherry trees.

A good holiday read.

Reviewed by Heather Marshall

January 15th, 2003