Imagine an university Home Economics program that provides hands on training not only in cooking, sewing and running a home, but also in infant care. What would it be like to be a "practice baby" taken from an orphanage to be raised for a year by a rotating group of "practice mothers?" That is the premise of this intriuging novel which ranges in time and culture from the pre-Dr. Spock infant care theories of the 40's & 50's to the freedom of the psychadelic 60's.
The novel celebrates the life of one such practice baby, Henry House. Henry's life and journey to young adulthood inspires both laughter and tears as he deals with the consequences of his unusual upbringing. With well drawn characters, the author give us a peek into the changing culture and thought of the mid 20th century. Henry House as a novel and a character is "irresistable."
The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald is available in book, or large-print formats.
No comments:
Post a Comment