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Description edit
It is the middle of the twentieth century, and in a home economics program at a prominent university, real babies are being used to teach mothering skills to young women. For a young man raised in these unlikely circumstances, finding real love and learning to trust will prove to be the work... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Henry House: Practice House baby adopted by Martha Gaines; the biological child given up by one of the Practice House mothers. Henry suffers from the innability to form close attachments and preferences throughout his life.
- Martha Gaines: Live-in director of Home Economics Program at Wilton college in Pennsylvania. Calculating, demanding, secretive and often portrayed as distant and unfeeling. She accidently gets attached to one of the practice babies and adopts him as her own in a twist of fate.
- Betty: One of Henry's practice moms; notorious daughter of the dean with a few secrets of her own
- Grace: Early practice house mother that helps raise Henry
- Edith: A tomboy, a rule breaker who smokes and dresses in unlady-like ways. An early practice house mother to Henry that meets him and cares for him later on in the novel. Edith often has simple, gruff, and unwanted advice for Henry that's driven by the soft spot in her heart for him.
- Mary Jane: Henry's friend from preschool.
- Hazel House: One of the practice babies. Henry has to take care of her while one of the practice mothers leaves them alone.
- Dr. Gardner: Add a description of this character.
- Charlie
- Ethel
- Annie
- Karen
- Vera
- Mrs. Donovan
- Chris
- Leo
- Morrow
- Cindy
- Annabel
- Greg
- Fred
- Fiona
- Harburg
- Beatrice
- Mary Poppins
- George
- Huck
- Henry Gaines
- Alexa
- Irena
- Dr. Spock
- Bettina
- Mr. Falk
- Sally
- Dick
- Daisy
- Herbert
- Kennedy
- Stu Stewart
- Carol
- Harry
- Mabel
- John
- Humphrey
- Julie Andrews
First Sentence edit
By the time Henry House was four months old, a copy of his picture was being carried in the pocketbooks of seven different women, each of whom called him her son.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Lisa Grunwald (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Random House Inc
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 1400063000
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Random House Inc
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 1400063000
Page Count: 412
Awards edit
- Amazon Best of the Month (March 2010: Fiction, #3)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: PS3557 .R837 T78 2010
- Dewey: 813.54
Subjects edit
Popular Tags
Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Lisa Grunwald: Author's website.
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