A novel inspired by the work author Pamela Lowell has done as a family therapist. Returnable Girl, may be a work of fiction, but it rings true with it's plot and characterization.
Returnable Girl is an excellent book that keeps the reader interested in the story as well as the characters until the very end. It is a quick paced read that my teen son, and former foster child, also enjoyed as he could identify with the main character.
The Storyline
Special Note - Before allowing teens to read, please be aware of mild language and sexual themes that are a part of this story line. Teen depression and acts of violence are also included. While very well written and handled in an appropriate manner, this may not be ideal for every teen.
Thirteen-year-old Ronnie has been "returned" for most of her young life. Nine times to be exact. Meaning she has been bounced from foster home to foster home since she was abandoned by her birth mother at the age of eleven to move to Alaska with her boyfriend. According to Ronnie's journal nine moves doesn't count emergency placements and some time with family.
Returnable Girl is written in a journal style with each entry beginning with the month and day noted. Ronnie allows the reader to follow her on a year of her journey as a foster child in the system. We watch Ronnie handle the fact that she may be placed for adoption with another family, other than her foster mom, Alison, and deal with her birth mother's phone calls from Alaska promising to "get her back" soon.
But on top of life as a foster child, Ronnie has to also deal with life as a Middle School Student. She finds a friend in the school's outcast, "Cat", but eventually has to choose between being a loyal friend to Cat or becoming popular.
The Characters
Returnable Girl keeps true to life in this reviewer's opinion. I found the character Ronnie to be very believable. Her behavior, while confusing to those around her, are what many foster parents deal with on a day-to-day basis. For example, Ronnie writes about her first Christmas with her foster mom, Alison. All of the gifts seemed to overwhelm Ronnie. She didn't seem as excited as foster mom had hoped. Another moment that spoke truth to me as a foster parent was the fact that Ronnie kept and traveled from home to home with everything she owned in a black, plastic trash bag that she refused to unpack. So many of our past foster children have arrived with their life in a trash bag. How that must add to their feelings of worthlessness.
I found the other characters to also be real and honest. Foster mom, Alison, while far from perfect is a good foster mom who truly cares for Ronnie. We see Alison struggle to understand Ronnie as she seems to keep pushing Alison away, when all Alison wants to do is provide a permanent adoptive home.
The birth mother character is also interesting. Breaking promises and making everything about her needs, the characterization of the birth mother mirrored so many of the birth moms I've worked with over the years. What helped as a foster parent was to see how the birth mother's words were interpreted by Ronnie and how she later was able to unravel her identity from her birth mom. She learned that she can still love her birth mom, but move on with her life and love another mother-figure.
About the Author
Pamela Lowell is a licensed clinical social worker with twenty plus years of experience. She counsels adolescents and families and currently is in private practice specializing in work with teen girls. She is the mother of two and a published poet and essayist as well as the author of a self-help book for parents, Survival Meditations for Parents of Teens. Returnable Girl is her first novel and was inspired by her work counseling foster children. She currently resides in Barrington, Rhone Island.
More Information
Returnable Girl gives foster parents, workers, and others the chance to understand the thinking behind the actions. As Ronnie pours out her heart in her journal we get to see the inner workings of a young girl moving through the system. An excellent read.
Returnable Girl is recommended for young adults.
(Published by: Marchall Cavendish Corporation, Tarrytown, NY, 2006.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7614-5317-8 ISBN-10: 0-7614-5317-2)
