[stylist] Another book review--The Martian Child

Thu Jun 27 16:47:01 UTC 2013

Oddly enough, I saw a movie once with just this premise, that the child was sure he was a Martian, or at least an alien from outer space.  The movie didn't deal with the problems in the latter part of the book so much as with the father's acceptance of the child and his illusions.  By the end of the movie, one wondered if the child actually had illusions, or if he somehow was from outer space.

I wonder if the movie and this book are related?

Lori

-----Original Message-----
From: Donna Hill <penatwork at epix.net>
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List' <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tue, Jun 25, 2013 12:55 pm
Subject: Re: [stylist] Another book review--The Martian Child

Shawn,
Thanks for sharing this. It gives me an idea of not only the book but your
personal experiences. There are so many books I'd like to read and so little
time. That's one reason I love book reviews -- at least I have some
perspective if the book comes up in conversation ... Enough perspective to
ask someone who did read it something more meaty than just what did they
think of it.
Donna 

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jacobson,
Shawn D
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 11:13 AM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List (stylist at nfbnet.org)'
Subject: [stylist] Another book review--The Martian Child

Below, is a book review I did last year (submitted to Slate & Style but was
not accepted).  The book "The Martian Child" is about a single science
fiction writer who adopts a boy who thinks he's a Martian.  I found the
premise interesting.

Shawn Jacobson
Mathematical Statistician
Phone# (202)-475-8759
Fax# (202)-485-0275

The Martian Child, by David Gerrard
reviewed by Shawn Jacobson
In The Martian Child, David Gerrard writes a novelization of his experience
adopting a trouble child.  The child, Dennis is hyper active, has a history
of abuse, acts out, and (most disconcerting of all) believes that he is a
Martian.
But the Marian part doesn't frighten our protagonist, the adoptive dad.
After all, dad is a science fiction writer and as long as Dennis doesn't
bring home giant slugs from space, dad can be cool with Dennis being a
Martian as long as he needs to be.  And besides, when dad saw the picture of
this little kid, he was in love.
Thus begins what, for the first half of the book, seems an idyllic adventure
in which the author adopts Dennis.  Dad loves Dennis, Dennis loves dad and,
everything works beautifully.  Problems here are glossed over.
Then troubles come and the narration becomes dark.  The Northridge
earthquake wrecks the house.  The dog dies.  Dennis is falsely accused of
sexual assault.  Dennis steals, breaks things, and acts out in public.  The
adoption is pushed to the brink.  To save the family, the father must dig
deep for the answer to why he wanted to adopt in the first place; father and
son must renounce their Martian heritage.  Thus, this is a story of
acknowledging, settling for, being human.
I came to this book because I am an adoptive father who dabbles in writing
science fiction.  I wanted to see the author's unique view of the process.
Though the author's fears of inadequacy mirrored my own, David's domestic
adoption of an older child differed from the international adoptions of
infants with which I am familiar.
One reviewer criticized the author for writing his adoption story as a novel
rather than as memoir.  However, telling the story in fictionalized form
fits the theme of this book that the stories we tell ourselves to explain
the world and our place in it make us human.  Pre-linguistic children are
thus alien until they join our society of story tellers.  In this light,
Dennis' story of his Martian heritage may indicate that he came to language
late in life.  The author's previous works of science fiction get lengthy
descriptions and are significant to in the lead-up to the climactic scene.
Other descriptions, of things, people, and weather are spare, not memorable.
The exceptions, the description of Dennis from his picture, description of
the house after the earthquake, the description of the weather on the
climactic evening of the story, stand out by comparison.
This book is available through the Talking Book program, DB 67150.  The NLS
narrator, like commercial audio-book narrators, uses different voices for
the different characters.  The lisping, kiddy, voice used for Dennis is more
annoying than cute.  For those interested in reading about a challenging
adoption, uniting a troubled boy with a non-traditional home, the book is
worth putting up with the annoyance.

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