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CUCKOO'S CHILD
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From: steven at westlinn.lib.or.us <steven>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 17:10:39 -0700
One of the things I enjoyed in "The Cuckoo's Child" was the way nothing was spelled out. Everything was told through Mia's point of view and the author never took any shortcuts to let the reader know things. So we don't know how worried the sisters are, since Mia doesn't realize this; and we get some of Kit's frustration with Mia, but only a bit of her admiration of the girl, because Mia is so blind to it. We don't even get Mia's own analysis of events, just her reactions to them. It really makes for a different kind of reading experience...you have to "be" Mia while you read, instead of just watch her from a distance (if that makes any sense).
I especially liked the scene with the neighbor (Mrs. Swopes?) when she tells Mia about the cuckoo and her children. Kit sees the parallel with her own mother, but I'm still not sure if the neighbor did. I think she was just telling a bird watching story and Mia realized its significance. Usually when a grown up tells a "meaningful" story to a child, it's the adult who sees the meaning and hopes the child does (and if she doesn't, the adult explains it afterwards).
Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, Oregon
[steven at westlinn.lib.or.us]
Received on Tue 10 Sep 1996 07:10:39 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 17:10:39 -0700
One of the things I enjoyed in "The Cuckoo's Child" was the way nothing was spelled out. Everything was told through Mia's point of view and the author never took any shortcuts to let the reader know things. So we don't know how worried the sisters are, since Mia doesn't realize this; and we get some of Kit's frustration with Mia, but only a bit of her admiration of the girl, because Mia is so blind to it. We don't even get Mia's own analysis of events, just her reactions to them. It really makes for a different kind of reading experience...you have to "be" Mia while you read, instead of just watch her from a distance (if that makes any sense).
I especially liked the scene with the neighbor (Mrs. Swopes?) when she tells Mia about the cuckoo and her children. Kit sees the parallel with her own mother, but I'm still not sure if the neighbor did. I think she was just telling a bird watching story and Mia realized its significance. Usually when a grown up tells a "meaningful" story to a child, it's the adult who sees the meaning and hopes the child does (and if she doesn't, the adult explains it afterwards).
Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, Oregon
[steven at westlinn.lib.or.us]
Received on Tue 10 Sep 1996 07:10:39 PM CDT
