Rating: 
Summary: Mitchard is back in top form with a story based on her life
Review: As an adoptive mother, I've always felt a special connection to Jacquelyn Mitchard's work, reading everything I can about her adventures as both a writer and an adoptive parent. I was particularly eager to read this one when I heard it was based in part on Mitchard's personal experience facing the possible loss of one of her adopted children - even though this child, an infant girl, was already living hin her home and even though Mitchard was permanently and indelibly bonded with this girl. This struck close to the bone, echoing some of my own concerns and fears as an adoptive mother. While I wasn't crazy about Mitchard's previous novel (The Most Wanted), A Theory of Relativity shows that she is back in top form. When a couple dies in a car accident, Gordon (brother to the deceased wife) comes forth to adopt the surviving child, a one year old girl. Unfortunately, other family members feel differently and a custody battle ensues. While Gordon and his parents want to be the child's parents, the parents of the deceased husband want custody as well. I was intrigued not only by the suspenseful plot but by the questions this book raised: What are the limits we, as a society, place on "blood" ties and those formed by adoption? Why are adopted children not always considered equal to those who are genetically related to their parents? How and why can families be torn apart by these distinctions?I found this to be a very believable story and couldn't help feeling that Mitchard's personal experiences brought a special ring of truth to this book. I'm looking forward to more powerful, emotionally honest novels from this wonderful writer in the future!
Rating: 
Summary: As someone who has been through a custody battle,
Review: I couldn't put this one down. I'm not adopted but when my parents divorced, the whole family wanted to adopt me, and it split my family to this very day, 10 plus years later. The emotions that Gordon felt were very real. You want the best for the child, but if nothing's working in bringing the child to your home, you give up. I love Mitchards writing, and I think this one to be one of her best. Yes there is alot of background information, but as with anything to get a clear picture of a story you need that clarity. She has to detail everything. I couldn't put this book down, and enjoyed it. The ending was quite interesting and unexpected which is a pleasure when you get to the point that you think you could guess the ending to every book when they get formulaic. Pick this one up, with "The Most Wanted" and I guarantee you'll have a weekend worth of excellent reading.
Rating:
Summary: Eye opening
Review: I read Deep End of the Ocean by Ms Mitchard and absolutely loved it! So when I heard about this book, I picked it up without knowing too much about it. It is a wonderful read! The story is so real and the characters fascinating. I am recommending it to my sister-in-law who is an adopted child and to friends who recently adopted. If you are adopted, adopting or thinking about adoption, it is a MUST read!
Rating: 
Summary: depressing
Review: This book is entirly to sad. I really enjoyed the style of writing, also the plot, story line, character development. But it is entirely to depressing. I want gritty reality, but I don't want to have to take prozac afterward. When I started crying on the treadmill, I knew it was time to quit.
Rating:
Summary: For the love of a child
Review: This is a beautifully written book that plumbs the depths of human identity, familial relationships and geographic bigotry.
Mitchard is at her prosaic best and this is a satisfying read.
The plot details the custody struggle for an innocent toddler, Keefer, whose parents die in an automobile accident. Everyone loves Keefer but Mitchard deftly shows the difficulty that people have putting the needs of a child first when strained in-law relations, geographic distance, and muddled lines of heredity throw her custody case into the courts.
Intertwined in the struggle for Keefer's custody are the main character's struggle, as an adoptee, for the rights entitled to the rights of the rest of American society. But he also struggles with his own identity and sense of commitment. Also poignantly displayed are the biases of the wealthy and poor, the biases of Northerners vs. Southerners. And never are these biases one-sided.
Mitchard weaves such an effective tapestry and such wonderfully complete characters (even "minor" characters get a full-fledged treatment)that this book is difficult to cover with one review. It must be read.
Only two weaknesses keep this book from being perfect. There are a few unnecesraily graphic sex scenes that add little to the development of the characters and even less to the plot. They will offend some readers.
And the closing chapter of the book, while it contains some great suprises and delights, does not match the seamless construction and gentle pacing of the rest of the book. It almost seems that Mitchard was limited to a maximum number of pages and was forced to tie up all the loose ends quickly.
That criticism aside, this is a fine book.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Captivating
Review: This is a story of love for the family, and the sacrifices and heartaches that come with it.A young couple died, leaving behind the 1-yr old baby girl. She was presumed to be taken care of by the maternal grandparents, only to be challenged by the other set of grandparents. It later focuses on the uncle, Gordon, who was made to fight for the adoption of baby Keefer, whom he felt like his own anyway. Legal turns took place and for all the struggles and fights, the bruises and triumphs, he came to realize that Keefer's interest was the most important thing. It exemplifies how a baby can change people's lives - physically, mentally, and emotionally; and how a family stand together for each other. This book made me feel for the characters - their sorrow, anger, gratitute, relief, happiness and everything in between. The details are the essence. It also made me see many aspects of adoption from inside. Family stories can be too familiar sometimes, but the storyline of this book is compelling and captivating. The author's play with words is interesting too, I couldn't help enjoying the read.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Captivating
Review: This is a story of love for the family, and the sacrifices and heartaches that come with it. A young couple died, leaving behind the 1-yr old baby girl. She was presumed to be taken care of by the maternal grandparents, only to be challenged by the other set of grandparents. It later focuses on the uncle, Gordon, who was made to fight for the adoption of baby Keefer, whom he felt like his own anyway. Legal turns took place and for all the struggles and fights, the bruises and triumphs, he came to realize that Keefer's interest was the most important thing. It exemplifies how a baby can change people's lives - physically, mentally, and emotionally; and how a family stand together for each other. This book made me feel for the characters - their sorrow, anger, gratitute, relief, happiness and everything in between. The details are the essence. It also made me see many aspects of adoption from inside. Family stories can be too familiar sometimes, but the storyline of this book is compelling and captivating. The author's play with words is interesting too, I couldn't help enjoying the read.
Rating: 
Summary: good potential
Review: This was a book with so much potential, it's too bad it didn't get some editorial help to make it a great book. The strong points were that the characters felt so real to me, and I really felt attached to them. But other than that, reading it was painful. First, the author unfortunately tries to give us points of view of too many characters, making the reader not know any one character in depth, and reading too many details. Also, I didn't like the way the reader was kept in torturing suspense as to the fate of Keefer's custody. I finally figured it out within a completely new context at the very end - the author knew we would all want to know, so why write about it 'by the way'? The book just took too many different directions, taking me off the original path of caring and feeling for the characters.
Rating:
Summary: could not finish
Review: trite
adj. trit·er, trit·est
Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed.
Archaic. Frayed or worn out by use.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting dilemma
Review: Very worthwhile read. It is frustrating to consider that the law might not recognize adopted children's rights as part of their family. This book is different from Mitchard's first, but I couldn't put it down until I found out who wound up with custody of the child.
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