From: Margaret Denman-West <pmaggie>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 15:40:32 +0100

Yes, I 'm aware that we finished our discussion of "The Cuckoo's Child" some time ago, but, here I go anyway. After re-reading six pages of downloaded responses to "TCC" I felt better about my own reactions. I was also one of those who, as I began the story, was "ticked off" with Mia's behavior. I wanted to like her - but didn't. As I continued into the story, I realized that my reaction was the clue to the difference between a "good" story and an exceptionally well-written one i.e., the reader's personal involvement with the protagonist. Tuch, tuch! Her behavior wasn't "what I would do." GREAT!!! She was trying to rebuild her life to fit a preconceived perception of the way "life" should be, howbeit more unreal than her "real life". She was justifyable angry (just as we all are when we lose someone we love) and she did "stupid" things to
"salve the pain" - in her own way. Would a psychologist have recommended such behavior? Heaven's No!! But, if this was her way of coping - so be it. Underneath it all was a very caring girl - who was deeply hurt. Whatever really happened to her parents doesn't matter. She refused to face the truth. (Don't we all do that at times?) Instead of "not likeing her", I felt sorry for her. In spite of her strange ways of coping, she did not retreat into herself and reject life. To have grown up in such a disfunctional environment- and still have "spunk" - is a challenge in and of itself. Kit and Sinclar are both interesting , well developed characters. We could also see the disfunctional environments from which they had come- that their coping mechanisms were "more acceptable". I'm glad I was "led" to read this book and applaud Suzanne Freeman for an excellent book. I hope she has more such interesting approaches for another book in her "bag of tricks"!

Margaret (Maggie) Denman-West Cleveland, OH
Received on Fri 11 Oct 1996 09:40:32 AM CDT