The Irresistible Henry House

Not So IrresistibleI would rate this a 3 1/2, but apparently only full stars at BookPage. Henry House is one of the practice babies at a home economics school in the 50s, and he ends up doing something practice babies don't do...being raised through his adolescence at the practice house by the lonely director of the program. I think this novel is supposed to explore what happens when a child is not allowed to form an attachment with his mother in infancy. However, as later in life Henry meets another practice baby, falls in love with her, and experiences first hand the lack of attachment/commitment Hazy/Peace offers him, his conversion to a feeling member of society seems rather abrupt. This was a fascinating premise, and it does raise psychological questions. But I don't think I was truly convinced by the characters. The sense of the times was spot-on though, and the book kept my interest enough to have me going back to it.