Orphans: Real and Imaginary

In this memoir the author provides an account of orphanhood, and in a series of essays, examines the role and meaning of orphanhood in literature, history, and culture

Simpson here examines orphanhood, her own and within the culture. The author (The Maze, etc.), who early on lost both parents, describes how she grew up believing herself relatively untouched by the deprivation. Later the loss of her husband prompted recollections of her pastthe custody fight involving her and her sister; the time they spent in a New York convent school as unwitting orphanswhich leads to the catharsis of rage and the admission of acceptance. The second part of the book comprises a history of orphanhood that discusses the role of orphans in history, literature and film. In the interweaving of the two parts, Simpson records the anguish of "all who have been improperly born, or who, with or without parents, feel orphaned." This is a sensitive, illuminating exploration of a many-sided subject.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.