Jennifer Olds

Pretty standard. Heroine raising 2 sons, check. Preternaturally understanding boyfriend (even to the point of not minding that her estranged husband moves into the guesthouse on the property), check. One of the kids has a handicap (one arm ends at the elbow), check. Beloved brother disappears, husband ran off after handicapped son was born, heroine can't trust any men because "they all go away," check. Ho-hum. And people say ROMANCE is predictable. Gah. The kids were pretty well done, with their reactions to their father returning, and to the younger boy's stump arm, so I gave it an extra star.… (mehr)