BABY BLUES

by Hope Herman Wurmfeld ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1992

In an afterword to this brief novel about teenagers who give up their babies for adoption, Wurmfeld tells how she was informed, at five, that she was adopted, her mother's uneasiness leaving her insecure and feeling ""different"" from other children. Here, she considers the experience of birth parents. The circumstances are plausible: after Dad's death, Annie lives with her older brothers; Frank takes responsibility for her but is away a lot, driving his 18-wheeler. Jimmy hangs out with a graffiti gang. They're fairly casual about sex but not promiscuous, and Annie's so innocent that she doesn't realize, or at least admit to herself, that she's pregnant until it's too late for an abortion. Annie's colloquial narration and the inarticulate dialogue of these blue-collar dropouts are the greatest strengths here. But though the model is realistic, it is also the stereotypical one among many. Compounding the problem is the characters' lack of depth. Annie's and Jimmy's speech and actions betray their immaturity and lack of ambition, but their inner lives--their value or potential, why they are as they are--remain unexplored. Still, a believable look at some of the circumstances and feelings that can be associated with this painful life event.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992

Categories: CHILDREN'S