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 One gift of Alice McDermott's is to invent characters who are both weird and recognizable; you feel you've met these people.


Theresa, a tenth grader on Long Island, is semi-aware that her little cousin might be dying. But Theresa is in a kind of hormonal haze--and the death of a child is too much to think about--so Theresa lies to herself. At the same time, she is drawn to an elderly local artist whose work may or may not be "immortal." It's interesting--and scary--to feel that you have power over a Great Man. Theresa starts showing off around the artist; she shares her thoughts about Shakespeare (and about his villain Macbeth).

Theresa's parents have moved to Long Island, to a groundskeeper's cottage, because they think that Theresa's proximity to wealthy people is a good thing. They encourage her to mingle with rich neighbors; at the same time, they feel wary around her, because they know she will not remain close to home. (In this way, McDermott is borrowing a theme from Alice Munro; at least one reviewer noted McDermott's debt to Munro.)

Theresa's doctor has inappropriate feelings toward Theresa; on the other hand, he is decent enough to pull himself together and find a wife. (The wife believes that the way to talk to kids is to fire off meaningless questions. "What is the name of your school? What is your favorite subject? What is your number-one hobby?" ....There are actual people like this. It's fun to see one in a novel.)

"Child of My Heart" famously irritated Michiko Kakutani, who had been a champion of Alice McDermott's. I think Kakutani's review is unreasonably harsh. (I also think that Kakutani had an urge to antagonize a major prizewinner--an urge to go against the grain. This happened with Munro, with Margaret Atwood, and with David Foster-Wallace.)

McDermott is always worth reading.
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