Child of My Heart

''A beautiful novel'' Sunday Times

''CHILD OF MY HEART is a remarkably poised and provocative work ... uplifting, enchanting ... the story is so authentic'' Observer

''McDermott''s elegant, understated prose slips down like a cool, refreshing drink'' Sunday Telegraph

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On the cusp of fifteen, pretty Theresa is the town''s most sought-after babysitter - cheerful, beloved, adored by children and animals, but also a solitary soul with an already complex understanding of human nature. She is Titania among her fairies, the one person to call on for help with a child in extreme distress.

Theresa does not doubt her power over the fathers of her adoring charges either, whose potential lechery Theresa toys with like a kitten with yarn. Yet during this unforgettable summer, it is her cousin Daisy, a frail little creature with glittery shoes and worrying bruises that don''t heal, in whom Theresa invests her greatest love.

Infused with suppressed passion, disappointment, and enduring hope, Alice McDermott''s wonderful new novel reveals a world seen afresh through the eyes of an utterly seductive girl.