ROBERT AND DAWN MARIE 4EVER

by Miriam Cohen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 13, 1986

More than just the romance that the jacket implies, Cohen's newest novel manages to make Robert's story--of untrustworthy adults and the cold streets of Brooklyn--a joyous celebration of kindness. At 14, Robert has lived in more foster homes than he can remember. His mother doesn't seem to want him around, so he takes off, spends the night in a park--and awakens to find Margaret Mary Murphy feeding stray dogs. She takes Robert home to her husband as if he were just like any other stray, and Robert stays. Margaret Mary and Walter don't have much money, but they make room for Robert in their lives, as does beautiful Dawn Marie, a gentle Catholic schoolgirl. But Robert is reluctant to trust anybody; it takes a crisis, testing the strength of his new relationships, before Robert believes that he is truly wanted. Told in Robert's exuberant, almost poetic voice, the narrative is realistically limited to his city perspective (a snail: ""It's got a shiny shell with a green-and-gold finish like the Spanish guys' hot rods on Third Avenue""), and the story is filled with refreshingly unstereotyped adult characters who emerge as believable against the harsh background of Robert's past. Witty and compassionate, the book is a testimony to the little acts of bravery and goodness that go unnoticed.

Pub Date: Nov. 13, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S