4 out of 4 stars
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"I am five years old the first time my mama goes away."
Darling Girl is a novel by Terry H. Watkins told in the first-person narrative through the perspective of young DG, as she and her extended family navigate intervals of her mother's absences related to her mental illness. The story begins in the late 1950s, near New Orleans and follows the family's frequent moves to accommodate the father's work on the pipelines across the states and eventually to different continents.
In 1957, DG was five the first time her mother left. Confused by her absence, she assumed perhaps her parents were "picking out a new baby" and hoped this one would be a girl. The story continues with different milestones in DG's life, marked by the occasion and spanning thirteen years. As the family deals with her mother's mental illness, her grandparents--especially Grampa--help bridge the gap left by her parents who are often "away." DG feels responsible for her younger brothers, but eventually realizes that her mother's illness is not the main source of the family's dysfunction. Though she had previously idolized her father, she must learn to face some hard truths regarding his need to maintain secrecy about her mother's condition while isolating the family through frequent moves spanning the continents. Along the way, despite sadness and sacrifices, DG gains a sense of identity and forges her way with hope for the future.
Despite the bittersweet content, I truly enjoyed reading this coming-of-age story of a young girl growing up from the late 1950s to 1970, while dealing with a dysfunctional family. I found it well-written, poignant, and yet still humorous at times, which is a credit to Watkin's writing, considering DG was raised by a maniacally depressed mother and a narcissistic father. Additionally, I found the secrecy and shame surrounding mental illness to be realistic according to the book's timeline.
The greatest strength of the book was found in Watkin's larger than life characters. I was particularly taken by her portrayal of DG's childlike thoughts and reactions as she narrated the family's dysfunction, as well as the confusion she felt as a result. For example, after a week of preparing their home for DG's Brownie troop to meet there, her mother is inexplicably absent when she arrives home from school for the meeting. When the girls and their mothers begin to arrive, once again Gramma and Grampa come to the rescue after their maid, Flozella contacts them. More than once in the scenario, DG who is only seven at the time, frets that things will not be perfect for the meeting. Afterward, we read her thoughts."Gramma cooks hamburger patties and canned peas, and we talk about everything except Mama. We all pretend the meeting was perfect, and that half the town doesn't wonder what is going on at our house." Later that night, when she's supposed to be asleep, she sees the family priest, doctor, and someone she doesn't recognize leave with a small bundle. "I kneel beside the bedspread with its perfect dancers in my perfect room and say my perfect prayers. God bless Mama and Daddy and Gramma and Grampa and Granny and Henry David and Samuel Taylor and Oscar Fingal and the baby who will never have a name." While the entire situation is heartbreaking, Watkin's sensitive portrayal of the circumstances as seen through DG's eyes is both evocative and engaging. The polar opposite of DG's endearing character was her self-consumed father--though despicable, his character was equally well-developed.
My only issue with this book was a lack of clarity regarding DG's stuttering which is introduced briefly in the first chapter and not addressed again until chapters eighteen and twenty, near the end of the book. With the previous exceptions, none of DG's conversations reflected stuttering. Because it was first mentioned when she was only five, I had assumed she outgrew it. However, when her stuttering was mentioned again when she would have been fourteen and fifteen, I found it inconsistent and slightly confusing. Throughout the book, DG was placed in situations where she felt anxious, and if she was still stuttering in her teen years, realistically, it should have been apparent in her conversations.
Nevertheless, it's my conclusion that this book is indeed worthy of a 4 out of 4 star rating. It appears to have been professionally edited, as I found no grammatical errors. I recommend it to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories and those who appreciate reading about growing up in the South during the 50s-60s. Readers who have a sensitivity to mental health-related issues may prefer to skip this one.
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Darling Girl
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