ALIAS MADAME DOUBTFIRE

by Anne Fine ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 1988

By the talented and original British author of The Granny Project, a lively look at common family problems, observed with crisp wit and a slightly jaundiced eye. The three Hilliard children are tom by the endless custody arguments of their parents: Daniel--a spontaneously loving, fecklessly disorganized, usually unemployed actor; and Miranda--a super-organized, caring, briskly efficient director of a successful retail firm. Frustrated by Miranda's rigidity about visitation rights, Daniel comes up with an original solution: he disguises himself as Madame Doubtfire, perfect housekeeper, thus arranging to see more of his children and also to solve Miranda's problem of after-school care. Farcical complications (involving, among other things, Daniel's only steady job--he models for art classes, nude) and the children's confusion and worry precipitate an explosive conclusion and force both parents into a more mature accommodation. Using Daniel's rather childish point of view gives Fine a well-used opportunity to contrast it with the children's more ""adult"" good sense. The language and sometimes arch humor demand a certain degree of sophistication, but Fine's impeccable logic brings out not only the humor but also the pathos of her outrageously funny central idea.

Pub Date: May 2, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 178

Publisher: Joy Street/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S