Friday, 25 September 2015
Those Children Are Ours by David Burnett
Release Date: 31st August 2015
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
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Jennie Bateman screamed at her
daughters, cursed at her husband, packed a bag, and walked away. Twelve years
later, she petitions the family court for visitation with her daughters, Alexis
and Christa.
Her attorney tells Jennie that,
ordinarily, she could not imagine that some type of visitation would not be
granted. But, she warns, the situation is hardly ordinary.
True, Jennie suffered from a
bipolar disorder when she began to drink heavily, abandoned her family, and
moved in with another man. True, she has turned her life around: leaving her
boyfriend, returning to school, entering therapy, taking medication, finding a
job, and joining a church. But she pressed no claim for her
children when her husband divorced her, and she has made no attempt to contact
them in any way. Her daughters are now sixteen and fourteen. They live four
hundred miles away, and they have busy lives that do not include her, lives
that will be totally disrupted by the visitation that Jennie requests.
Their father is engaged to be
married to a woman who has taken the role of their mother for a decade, and
neither child wants anything to do with Jennie. Alexis remembers nothing good
about her. Christa recalls nothing at all.
Conflict ensues as soon as
Jennie’s petition is served: her former husband does not want to share his
children with the woman who deserted him; her children have no interest in
knowing the mother who abandoned them, and her father believes that she is
being timid and ought to demand full custody, not visitation. As court convenes, Jennie’s past
is dredged up− the
desertion, the men, her drinking, her mental health − and hauled before the judge. Her claim to be a
different person, now, is attacked. When the judge appears to be reluctant to
grant Jennie’s request, but seems to feel that she must, her husband’s attorney
suggests three trial visits, hoping that they will go so badly that Jennie will
come to her senses and drop her petition.
Jennie wants to be a part of her
children’s lives, but can she convince them to allow her to try?
I have found this book an extremely interesting read given that I have seen similar stories to this in my day job and have attended family court proceedings on a number of occasions. David Burnett has beautifully captured the dilemmas, heartbreak, grief and uncertainty about forgiveness when one parent abandons their children. The reader is forced to explore the issues around just how much can one person change and should they be given a second chance? What are the implications for the children. Is the risk worth it?
At the beginning of the story Jennie came across as a pretty mean and self centred person. Her parenting skills appeared to be non-existent and even as a reader I myself found it difficult to reconcile that picture of her with the one of a reformed character who has taken steps to turn her life around. The question always being one of uncertainty and wondering if elements of their old life would resurface. However, Jennie appears to have gained valuable insight into her actions of the past and counselling and involvement with the church have helped her on a road to recovery and acceptance of the past. Acceptance that there were other factors influencing her behaviour. The big question for Jennie is............can she convince her ex husband and her children that she poses no threat and only wants to be part of her children's lives?
A well written book with many interesting angles and points of view to consider. I really enjoy David Burnett's books and this one has proven to be another great read from him.
ABOUT DAVID BURNETT
We recently
moved to our new home near Charleston, South Carolina. Three of my four books
are set in Charleston, and I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches. I now have
the opportunity to walk on the beach near our home almost every day and to
photography the ocean, the sea birds, and the marshes that I love.
I love
photography, and I have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on
the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow.
My wife and I have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom.
During trips to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the
Burnett family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the home of my McNeil
ancestors.
I went to school for
much longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees in psychology and
education. In an “earlier life” I was Director of Research for the South
Carolina Department of Education. My wife and I have two daughters and, by the
time you read this, four grandchildren.
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