Child of My Heart

Unabridged
Author: Alice McDermott
Narrator: Sheryl Bernstein
Genres: Fiction
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Date: November 2002
Length: 8 hours, 30 minutes
Ratings:
Formats:
  • CD

Overview

A young girl's astonishing, poignant first look into the turbulent heart of things.
"I had in my care that summer four dogs, three cats, the Moran kids, Daisy, my eight-year-old cousin, and Flora, the toddler child of a local artist. There was also, for a while, a litter of wild rabbits, three of them, that had been left under our back steps...."
Alice McDermott's haunting and enchanting new work of fiction--her first since the bestselling "Charming Billy, winner of the 1998 National Book Award--is narrated by a woman who was born beautiful. Her parents decided that her best chance in life was to marry a wealthy man, so she was raised on the east end of Long Island, among the country houses of the rich. On the cusp of fifteen, she is the town's most sought-after babysitter--cheerful, beloved, a wonder with children and animals, but also a solitary soul with an already complex understanding of human nature--when her favorite cousin, Daisy, comes to spend the summer.
The narrator's witty, piquant, deeply etched evocation of all that was really transpiring under the surface during that seemingly idyllic season gives her wry tale--infused with suppressed passion, disappointment, and enduring hope--its remarkable vividness and impact. Once again, Alice McDermott explores the mysterious depths of what seems like everyday life with unforgettable insight and resonant emotional power.

Reviews (1)

Child of My Heart

Written by Anonymous on January 3rd, 2006

  • Book Rating: 3/5

Listening to this story is such a calming, ordinary activity. Each event is detailed in focus so that the listener hears about every nuance and gesture. The lovely beachside setting and the daily routines lull the listener into complacency. It is only after several hours or even days of finishing the book that the full impact of events of the seemingly simple summer hits home. I came away with a taste for finding more meaning in everyday interactions.