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Loading... Borrowed Childrenby George Ella Lyon
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I found this book surprising, though I don't know why. There were times when I was startled. Like when the central character was expected to leave the best of everything for her brothers despite the fact that she had made the meal. I thought it was wonderful that she was able to get some insight into who her mother really was. A good story, certainly kept me turning the pages. I liked the author's message about what really makes a home. ( ) Set in backwoods Kentucky, this story is a good example of what men's and women's roles once were in a family. After her mother almost dies in childbirth, thirteen-year-old Mandy must leave the thing she loves most, school, and stay home to take care of the household chores, and her family which consisted of her parents, two older brothers, two younger sisters and her newborn baby brother. The added responsibility takes its toll on Mandy's patience to the point where she throws a family heirloom tureen when she is told she must wait for the men to eat before she can have more. Eventually, as a reward for her hard work , Mandy gets to spend Christmas with her grandparents in the big city of Memphis. It is in Memphis that she really begins to appreciate her family and what they have gone through. Mandy matures throughout the story and discovers that her family has a lot of buried secrets and resentments which they must overcome in order to heal. I enjoyed the book but feel that the title does not fit the story. Maybe there is some underlying meaning or message that I failed to get. A little outdated but I would still recommend it to those who like a touch of nostalgia. no reviews | add a review
Having been forced to act as mother and housekeeper during Mama's illness, twelve-year-old Amanda has a holiday in Memphis, far removed from the Depression drudgery of her Kentucky mountain family, and finds her world expanding even as she grows to understand and appreciate her background. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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